Media Statement - 9.40pm, Friday, 18 May 2007

Suspensions necessary for safe services
 

District Health Boards say the suspension of striking Laboratory Workers is the only choice given the threat to quality and safety of patient services.

Counties Manukau and West Coast DHBs have warned lab workers planning to strike next week that they’d be suspended unless the strike was called off or they agreed to work in a manner that does not pose risks for services.

Spokesman for the DHBs, Gordon Davies – CEO of Canterbury DHB – says the hospital had no choice in the face a cynically targeted campaign that has been designed to disrupt patient services without losing any pay.

“Hospitals cannot run lab services with staff only doing selected tests or processing only half a sample. It interferes with normal operations and systems, and can compromise quality and patient safety.

“West Coast and Counties had no other option and other DHBs facing this style of action will be considering how they will respond to similar threats to services.

“This form of guerrilla action could run for the best part of a month. It’s a recipe for disaster if we don’t minimise the risk by removing striking workers taking actions that compromise safety – we need to be sure those remaining will do what is asked of them.

“We also run the risk of compromising the good will of non union lab workers and other health professionals working extremely hard to make sure patients are kept safe,” says Mr Davies. “We can’t have their standards and the quality of their work compromised by leaving them to pick up the responsibility for the half-finished work of others, potentially without their knowledge or agreement, which is both unfair and unsafe.”

“The bottom line is that it creates an avoidable element of risk for patients which we are not prepared to carry.” Mr Davies says lab workers were on a strike for seven days last year and another four days during the last month.  “The action clearly hasn’t worked, now the union is changing tactics trying to avoid any more loss of pay for its members.”

“The action is disappointing given we’ve both moved significantly to close the gap on wages – we need negotiations to resolve the outstanding issues and the union’s inability to get back to talks is regrettable.  “We have made a very good offer and that’s still on the table – let’s stop using patients as industrial leverage and find a way through this.”

Ends

© Scoop Media