The organisation that provides blood and blood products to hospitals throughout the country says it's begun suspending hospital laboratory workers over strike action.
Medical laboratory workers have been involved in low-level industrial action for months over stalled pay talks.
The New Zealand Blood Service says it's regretfully suspended seven staff at some of its laboratories in Auckland and Palmerston North.
It says lab workers have been taking industrial action at many of its blood banks, processing and testing labs nationwide for the past three months.
It says while the action so far has taken the form of partial withdrawals of labour, this has since escalated, and the suspensions are now necessary to provide operational certainty and safe, reliable services.
