Amended claim for lab. workers filed

Press, 12 February 1986, Page 8

Amended claim for lab. workers filed

PA Wellington An amended medical laboratory worker claim was put to a special meeting of employers’ representatives and Government officials yesterday. It was believed the claim would be considered at Ministerial level, the “Dominion” newspaper reported, and the laboratory workers were hoping for a response some time today. The Laboratory Technology Institute president, Mr Colvin Campbell, confirmed that the meeting, between laboratory workers, members of the Health Services Personnel Commission, and the State Services’ Commission, took place yesterday. He said the parties had met for two hours and that the officials had agreed to take the laboratory workers’ proposal back to Government.

Some sort of response was expected today. The institute’s Wellington regional representative, Mr John Elliot, said laboratory workers had still not received any increased offer from the employers. This was in spite of reports that a new offer was in the pipeline. The Minister of Health, Dr Bassett, had earlier expressed surprise that yesterday’s strike was going ahead in lieu of the new offer.

Mr Campbell said there was no way the workers could be told of the new proposal because of a stipulation that yesterday’s meeting must be secret. Industrial action will continue today at least until receipt of a response to the workers’ claim from the Health Services’ Personnel Commission or the Government, he said. Yesterday’s action was reported to be quiet by laboratory workers, although they have complained that some doctors have pushed through nonurgent work, effectively making it urgent. The intolerance of some doctors to the action was said to vary between hospital areas, although it was reportedly most apparent in chest surgery.

Mr Elliot said that as time went on it would

become more difficult for the doctors to carry out non-urgent work. Pressures would increase for them as there were delays in getting the work through the system. In Christchurch, 175 technologists are employed, 150 at Christchurch Hospital. The acting medical superintendent-in-chief of the Canterbuiy Hospital Board, Dr David Andrews, said the strike’s impact at Christchurch Hospital had been minimal. Surgery patients and those without acute problems would be affected if the strike continued, he said. The chief executive of the Canterbury Hospital Board, Mr Ron Parker, said the strike would not be of main concern, provided it did not exceed the expected three days.