T-Lab laboratory workers will be on strike on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after receiving a pay offer they describe as “inflammatory”.
The three-day strike will be followed by an overtime ban (midnight to 8am) for the following seven days.
The strike also affects lab workers in Palmerston North and Whanganui who, like their Gisborne colleagues, are employed by Sonic Healthcare.
A Gisborne APEX (union for allied, scientific and technical employees) delegate and scientist said low-paid colleagues had the same skills and knowledge as Health NZ lab workers, but some were paid the minimum wage. Testing was done at the lab based at Gisborne Hospital, where six scientists out of nine would be on strike.
Union membership had increased 300% recently which showed the strength of feeling among colleagues, the Gisborne delegate said.
APEX advocate Sam Heimsath said the union’s claim was for a genuine cost of living increase, as well as a retention payment to entice workers to “stick it out” with their employer.
There was a 20 to 30% differential between the pay rate of Sonic laboratory workers and Health NZ laboratory workers.
1 comment
Given that there are many members of the production sectors that are facing bankruptcy or worse through no fault of their own, wouldn’t you think that in these circumstances, it is not the time to be asking for wage increases from employers still in business but only just?
This global recession will hopefully soon end and the country can get back to doing what we do best - successfully engaging with our competitors in markets thousands of kilometres away, earning enough to maintain full employment while taking care of our most vulnerable groups.
We are right to look on this country as “Godzone” but we will not be able to continue doing so if we allow those with an exaggerated sense of entitlement to dictate terms for the fight for survival that the rest of us must endure.
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