APEX Union have announced their members in Whangarei, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, and the South Island will take industrial action (strike) on Tuesday 25, Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 March 2025.
The strike is a full withdrawal of labour, which means APEX Union members who work in the laboratory, collection centres, and logistics and support staff (in some regions), will strike on these days.
- Most laboratory services across the South Island will be unavailable during these days, with no routine services available across the three-day period.
- All regions will have life preserving services were needed.
- In some regions there are also partial strikes occurring with some services like walk-ins and test adds unavailable on Friday 28, Monday 31 March and Tuesday 1 April.
Our teams have been working closely with Health NZ to manage the impacts to hospital services and the wider health sector. Priority will be ensuring those who are seriously ill still receive the critical, life preserving services they need.
Please click on the region below for more information on what services are impacted in that area. Services do vary across the South Island so if you are in doubt please contact your local laboratory.
Marlborough
Collections Service Impacted:
| Marlborough Collection Centres | |
| Hospital Ward rounds | Unavailable |
| Maxwell Road Collection Centre | Closed |
| Wairau Hospital Collection Centre | Closed |
| Picton Collection Centre | Closed |
| Home Visits | Unavailable |
Life Preserving Critically Urgent collection services –for practices that cannot provide their own collection between 0730- 1630 – please call 027 208 3240
Routine Awanui Courier Services: UNAVAILABLE
Life Preserving Critically Urgent services only – between 0830 – 1700. Please call 027 2302645
External Couriers Services:
Will still operate but we expect only life preserving critically urgent tests will be sent in if required. Please do not put any other specimens in these bins as they will not be processed.
Specimen Collection:
We ask that you do not collect or send in your own specimens during this time. Only life preserving critically urgent requests will be accepted. Any specimens taken during the industrial action period will not be processed.
Please plan for these dates and do not hold clinics between Monday 24 and Thursday 27 March that will need any type of laboratory testing sent in, including HPV, immigration, histology, and sexual health clinics.
Laboratory Services – Life Preserving Critically Urgent Services only.
Microbiology Services:
- Due to the prolonged nature of microbiology work, including urines, faeces, sputum, swabs, aspirate, routine microbiology samples cannot be sent to the laboratory and will not be processed from Friday 21 March to Friday 28 March 2025.
- Normal services will continue Monday 31 March.
Histology
Please restrict requests. Turnaround time will be affected by the Industrial Action.
Nelson
Collection Services Impacted:
| Nelson Collection Centres | |
| Hospital Ward rounds | Unavailable |
| Collingwood Collection Centre | Closed |
| Nelson Hospital Collection Centre | Closed |
| Tahunanui Collection Centre | Closed |
| Richmond Collection Centre | Closed |
| Motueka Collection Centre | Closed |
| Home Visits | Unavailable |
Life Preserving Critically Urgent collection services –for practices that cannot provide their own collection between 0730- 1630 – please call 027 2577920
Routine Awanui Courier Services: UNAVAILABLE
Life Preserving Critically Urgent services only – between 0830 – 1700. Please call 027 2213856
External Couriers Services – Will still operate but we expect only life preserving critically urgent tests will be sent in if required. Please do not put any other specimens in these bins as they will not be processed.
Specimen Collection: We ask that you do not collect or send in your own specimens during this time. Only life preserving critically urgent requests will be accepted. Any specimens taken during the industrial action period will not be processed.
Please plan for these dates and do not hold clinics between Monday 24 and Thursday 27 March that will need any type of laboratory testing sent in, including HPV, immigration, histology, and sexual health clinics.
Laboratory Services: Life Preserving Critically Urgent Services only.
Microbiology Services: Due to the prolonged nature of microbiology work, including urines, faeces, sputum, swabs, aspirate, routine microbiology samples cannot be sent to the laboratory and will not be processed from Friday 21 March to Friday 28 March 2025. Normal services will continue Monday 31 March.
Histology
Please restrict requests. Turnaround time will be affected by the Industrial Action.