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How important are Laboratory Workers to NZ’s health system?

Without them, everything falls apart. Watch (and also share!) this short video, to understand how vitally important this highly trained, hardworking and often invisible workforce is to NZ’s healthcare service.

Pay Parity for Private Laboratory Workers

Press Releases

Same Work Same Pay: Medical Laboratory Workers Strike for 48 Hours

On January 21 2025, APEX medical laboratory workers across Whangārei, Taranaki, Waikato, Tauranga, Whakatāne, Rotorua, Gisborne, Palmerston North, Whanganui, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, and the South Island have voted to strike for 24 hours on both 5 and 7 February, impacting most hospital and community services nationwide. The action follows the rejection of APEX’s pay parity claims in three separate MECA negotiations with Awanui Labs, Pathlab Limited, and Medlab Central/Tlab. These workers earn 28-32% less than their Te Whatu Ora counterparts despite performing the same work, and their message is clear: “same work, same pay.” APEX is pushing for pay parity to address this wage disparity and support the rebuilding of struggling laboratory services.

Read the full press release here.

850 Medical Laboratory Workers Notify Looming Week of Rolling Strikes

On March 6 2025, APEX issued strike notices on behalf of 850 medical laboratory scientists and technicians to corporate providers Awanui, Pathlab, and Medlab. The rolling strikes, spanning seven days from 22 March, will impact at least 123,000 patient tests and cut off medical laboratory services for at least 72 hours in over 70% of New Zealand’s towns and cities, including Tauranga, Rotorua, Palmerston North, Gisborne, Wellington, and Dunedin. The action follows a two-day strike over Waitangi weekend, which led to only modest progress in closing the 30% pay gap between these workers and their Te Whatu Ora-employed counterparts.

Read the full press release here.

APEX Laboratory Strike Map Reduced

Laboratory Strike Map

Rolling medical laboratory strikes underway across New Zealand

Rolling medical laboratory strikes began on March 22 2025 in Gisborne, Whanganui, and Palmerston North, spreading to Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, and Waikato on Monday, then Wellington, Taranaki, Northland, and the South Island on Tuesday. The strikes will continue until Friday, delaying some lab tests by weeks. APEX, representing 850 striking workers, estimates that over 123,000 tests will go uncollected or unprocessed. Workers report that parts of the national laboratory network are on the brink of collapse due to understaffing and equipment failures.

Read the full press release here.

Picket photos

Our private laboratory workers have been out on the picket lines across the country, kia kaha!

2025 Private Lab Picket Collage

Pictured: Waikato, Whakatane, Dunedin

Media Roundup

Do you have further questions? Get in touch.

Get in touch if you have any questions about our corporate laboratory campaign, call us on (09) 526 0280 or email us.