12 May 2023

Large medical lab considers workforce slash

From Morning Report, 7:50 am on 12 May 2023

The country's most powerful medical laboratory group, half owned by the government, is proposing to slash the medical lab workforce in the upper South Island.

Awanui, which is worth half a billion dollars, has told staff in Nelson the move is part of centralising its nationwide services to make them "sustainable".

Union organiser David Munro is from APEX, a specialist union for allied, scientific and technical employees in New Zealand.

Pharmaceutical research Scientist developing a new drug or vaccine in the lab.

Photo: AFP / Tek Image/Science Photo Library

He spoke to Corin Dann.