It's too early to say whether 2010 could set a record for industrial action in the health sector, Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Ian Powell says.

Labour health spokesperson Ruth Dyson says if the National Government fails to live up to its promises on prioritising frontline staff, 2010 could be a record breaker.

"I am concerned that the health minister's refusal to consider the recruitment and retention ramifications of offering frontline health workers a zero percent increase will mean record levels of industrial action and more health workers leaving for Australia," Ms Dyson says in a media statement released today.

The comments come as hospital laboratory workers vote in favour of industrial action, hot on the heels of hospital radiographers beginning industrial action in Auckland this week.

Other negotiations under way

Mr Powell says a number of negotiations involving health sector staff are under way, but many are going well so far.

For example, contract negotiations involving the NZNO, Public Service Association and Service and Food Workers Union are ongoing, and an offer is understood to be out for ratification among members.

This contract represents about 60 per cent of the DHB workforce nationally and if negotiations were to fall over that would have a significant effect, Mr Powell says.

Other negotiations under way, or soon to start, include those involving resident doctors, physiotherapists, South Island clerical workers, and senior doctors.

Mr Powell says stop-work meetings for the senior doctors are unlikely at this stage.

Counties Manukau worst affected

Meanwhile, of the three DHBs affected by radiographers' industrial action in Auckland this week, Counties Manukau is worst off due to a high union membership and the nature of rule-to-work action, a spokesperson says.

Rule-to-work is a type of action where employees do no more than the minimum required by the rules of the workplace and follow safety or other regulations to the letter to cause a slowdown.

Patients in the Auckland and Waitemata DHB areas are said to be less affected.

In Counties Manukau, patients are being advised to see their GP for referral to private radiologists where possible before attending the ED at Middlemore Hospital. SOURCE: www.nzdoctor.co.nz