Among other things, Awanui lab workers take blood, cross-match transfusions, run urgent lab services, and test for everything from cancers to meningitis and Covid-19. (file image) Photo: 123RF
Medical technicians and scientists at one of the country's largest laboratory service providers will walk off the job on Friday in Wellington and the South Island, demanding a better pay offer from Awanui.
The company has more than $700 million worth of public contracts with Te Whatu Ora and is half-owned by the government superannuation fund.
Among other things, the workers take blood, cross-match transfusions, run urgent lab services, and test for everything from cancers to meningitis and Covid-19.
The strike action is being organised by the APEX union.
Senior lab scientist Rachel Roth told Morning Report the union members were determined to see the issue through, with this being their fifth strike this month.
"Currently a junior scientist is on $25 an hour, a new technician or phlebotomist who takes blood is on $23 an hour. Now when you're looking come September, the living wage will be $26 an hour, we really need to increase these wages significantly given the important job we do," Roth said.
"We're an integral part of the health workforce. Doctors can't make decisions or diagnosis without the testing that we do, from taking the blood right through to the results in the laboratory.
"This (low wages) has resulted in a really fragile workforce, that the public of Aotearoa deserve better than that."
"We need a robust laboratory workforce" - senior lab scientist Rachel Roth
The company had offered a 5 percent increase but the union members wanted a rise of between 20 and 35 percent.
Roth acknowledged there was a huge gap between the demand and offer but said they were "some of the poorest paid health professionals".
"We need these significant increases to not only retain the staff that are left, but to attract young professionals in as well.
"We've got young scientists that have done the equivalent of an honours degree that come in, they're working 24/7, we work unsociable hours, there's a lot of responsibility on young shoulders and they're seeing people that have chosen different degrees earning way better money with less responsibility and it just doesn't stack up.
"We need a robust laboratory workforce and the wages that we are currently getting is just unsustainable for especially young qualified technicians and scientists."
The company needed to invest in its staff if it wanted to retain their expertise to maintain their service, Roth said.
"This is a New Zealand-owned company and it's been really disappointing that we've had such a low wage offer considering the workforce that we've talked about."
In response to questions about the 5 percent pay offer, profits, and executive pay, Awanui said they remained open and committed to reaching a settlement and would not be making further comment at this stage.