Medical laboratory workers have voted to walk off the job, nationwide, for 24 hours on February 5 and a further 24 hours on February 7.

Lab workers from Tauranga, Rotorua, Whakatane, Waikato, Whangarei, Taranaki, Gisborne, Palmerston North, Whanganui, Hawke’s Bay, the Wellington region and the South Island will be joining the strike.

The action will impact the majority of hospital and community services across the motu.

The strikes come on the back of Apex’s bargaining claims for pay parity being rejected in three separate Meca negotiations, with Awanui Labs, Pathlab Ltd and Medlab Central/Tlab.

Medical laboratory workers employed in these labs are paid on average 28-32% less than their Te Whatu Ora counterparts, despite performing the same work.

The member’s message is simple: “same work, same pay”.

Apex has raised a claim for pay parity in each set of bargaining to rectify significant wage rate disadvantage, and in turn, enable the rebuilding of these struggling medical laboratory services.

Today, Apex advocate Sam Heimsath said, “the ongoing wage gap has created an untenable recruitment and retention environment for privately owned laboratories”.

“As a result, a number of members are working unsafely, burning out and ultimately exiting the sector.

“This vicious cycle threatens the sustainable provision of hospital and community diagnostic services in this country”.