Laboratory Workers at Awanui Labs Strike This Week
Wednesday 23 August 2023
Off the back of another unfruitful round of negotiations with Awanui, the largest private laboratory provider in the country, the full withdrawal strike action planned for Thursday and Friday (24 &25 August) of this week and then Monday and Tuesday next week (28 & 29 August) will proceed.
On 18th of August APEX met with Awanui to hear a revised offer from the business. Awanui offered $3,500 on all base salaries for a one-year deal, which for scientists at the top of the salary scale was a decreased offer from their previous 5% offer.
The new offer of an increase to salaries of $3,500/annum doesn’t even achieve pay parity with current rates in public sector laboratories.
‘Awanui expects its senior scientists to agree to pay rates from 1 July 2023 which will be $2,500/annum below what senior scientists are currently paid in Labs run by Te Whatu Ora’, said APEX advocacy lead David Munro today. ‘And those Te Whatu Ora rates do not even include increases that are coming for pay equity and their own collective bargaining.’
This private sector business, which accounts for more than 70% of medical laboratory testing in New Zealand, cannot continue to shirk its responsibility to pay its staff fairly. Staffing levels are low, and declining, as staff vote with their feet and leave for better paying jobs in other sectors.
‘For Awanui Lab scientists that means turning your back on four-and-half years of degree training to take higher paid lower skilled jobs.’ continued Mr Munro today. ‘If Awanui doesn’t find the money soon to pay reasonable salary increases then patients will suffer longer delays in receiving test-results, which in turn will lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment with poorer ultimate health outcomes.’
ENDS
There are pickets planned in Invercargill, Dunedin, Christchurch, Nelson, and Wellington.
ENDS
Contact: David Munro
Laboratories National Advocate – APEX
Mobile: (027) 276 9999
Email: david@apex.org.nz
What is a Medical Laboratory Worker?
Medical Laboratory Workers are registered health professionals who run laboratories and test, interpret and report laboratory results. They are trained to identify disease and abnormalities through studying blood, tissue and other bodily samples. Laboratory workers work ‘behind the scenes’ but remain an integral part of the health system whose work is vital to patient treatment. More than 90% of prescribed treatments require laboratory input to aid/confirm diagnosis or to monitor drug levels or disease progression.
Medical laboratory science is a bit like detective work. Workers look for answers to the disease ‘puzzle’ to help doctors diagnose and treat their patients. They answer questions such as: are these cells abnormal? What do these blood cells tell us about this person’s health? How does it fit in with their other symptoms? How much of drug ‘x’ is in this person’s blood? Is it working effectively? What bug is making this person sick?
Medical Laboratory Workers take on a high level of responsibility, often needing to make important decisions under pressure. Emergencies can occur at any time, day or night, so laboratory workers have to prioritise and use their initiative, often without much back-up. If the doctor needs to know the answer, they have to deliver. Sometimes this means working through the night providing results while patients fight for their life in another part of the hospital or a surgeon waits, mid-operation, for a phone call.
Responsibilities include developing, adapting and applying scientific methods of analysis and ensuring high standards of quality assurance. An understanding of the methodology and theory behind complicated, technical and automated equipment is essential, as is developing the skills necessary to identify and interpret abnormalities under the microscope or via other diagnostic technology. Laboratory workers are highly regarded and sought after worldwide.