Four Laboratory Staff Suspended

Northland District Health Board has begun suspending members of the NZMLWU (the New Zealand Medical Laboratory Workers Union) following nine weeks of industrial action. 

Striking since July 13, union members who participate in the industrial action will be suspended each day while the action continues.  This follows similar action take by Auckland DHB, Waitemata DHB and Counties Manukau DHB.

1 of 39 laboratory workers at Whangarei Hospital, 1 of 4 at Bay of Islands Hospital, 1 of 7 at Dargaville Hospital and 1 of 8 at Kaitaia Hospital were suspended today for refusing to carry out some of their duties.

"We had hoped the dispute would not reach this point but we are now into our ninth week of industrial action and the ongoing action is disruptive, placing a strain on other staff picking up the workload and patients awaiting treatment," said Dr Nick Chamberlain, General Manager of Clinical Services.

"The longevity of the union's action poses a threat to patient care.  Our service is patient-focused, so an assumption that you can design strike action so that it does not affect patients is unrealistic".

The type of industrial action undertaken by union members includes withdrawing of labour (either in-part or in-full) such as not answering telephones, not collecting bloods from patients in wards and not processing laboratory tests/procedures like d-dimers, bone marrows and infectious diseases.

"As we must be responsible for how we spend public funds, it is unreasonable to continue paying a full wage to employees who are not carrying out the work they are being paid to do."

The suspensions will last for only up to four hours at a time and wages will be adjusted accordingly.  Suspensions will continue until industrial action is lifted.  Stronger action such as locking workers out may also be considered.

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For further information, please contact:
Fleur King, Public Relations Manager
Northland District Health Board 
Phone (09) 430 4101 ext 3315