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District health boards have no choice but to suspend striking lab workers, whose union is using cynical tactics which endanger patients, says a DHB chief.
The Medical Laboratory Workers Union (MLWU) has been entangled in a long-running pay dispute with employers comprising 15 of the country's DHBs, the New Zealand Blood Service, Southern Community Laboratories and Medlab South.
Spokesman for the DHBs and chief executive of Canterbury DHB Gordon Davies said last night the MLWU was engaged in a "cynically targeted campaign" designed to disrupt patient services without staff losing pay.
Union members from the Counties Manukau and West Coast DHBs were set to take strike action in the coming days, in the form of going to work and performing some of their normal tasks, but refusing to carry out others.
They were sent letters by their employers telling them they would be suspended without pay if they went ahead.
Mr Davies said hospitals couldn't run lab services with staff only doing half the work -- it would interfere with normal operations and could pose a threat to the quality of lab work and to patient safety.
"This form of guerrilla action could run for the best part of a month.
"It's a recipe for disaster if we don't minimise the risk by removing striking workers taking actions that compromise safety -- we need to be sure those remaining will do what is asked of them."
MLWU national secretary treasurer Bryan Raill said yesterday the DHBs' actions were "diabolical".
"They're trying to bully the lab workers out of their legal right to take this action."
The lab workers' resolve had only been strengthened by the letters.
The DHBs had made a 2.55 per cent per annum pay offer, coupled with clawbacks on hours of work, and no employment protection, Mr Raill said.
- NZPA
