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Medical lab workers to go on strike

Johannesburg - Medical laboratory workers in the public sector will go on strike from Monday after failed negotiations with employers, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) said on Saturday.

"We are reluctant participants in the strike action because we are part of the working class and our families will be affected. We are left with no other choice than to go on strike," spokesman Sizwe Pamla said.

The 1 800 workers process pathology and diagnostic tests for public hospitals.

Pamla said the strike would affect "doctors and patients because there has to be a report which doctors use to prescribe medication."

"It is the nature of labs that if three people are absent it affects operations. It will also affect HIV testing in government labs," he said.

By the time negotiations collapsed this week, the union had brought its demands of a 15% wage increase down to nine percent. It was also demanding a R2 300 medical aid benefit.

National Health Laboratory Services had offered a 6.5% increase and R2 100 for medical aid.

Negotiations had been ongoing since April.

"We are aware that they intend to use private institutions to outsource most of the workers' functions during the strike. This is unfair because they are using tax payers money," he said.

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