The medical laboratory workers have ended a 14-month old dispute regarding the pay structure as they accepted the pay offer by the District Health Boards (DHB).

About 1,000 lab workers are employed by 12 of the country's 20 DHBs and Blood Services. These workers were on a strike for 14 months over a pay dispute which ended in last December while they considered a better pay offer by the DHBs.

They have now agreed on two wage increases of 1% from December, 2010 and another 1.5% in March, 2011. They have further agreed to adjustments to annual leave, long service leave, and on-call allowance rates. They will maintain a single employment contract for a further 25 months.

Previously they rejected to the other offers which did not mention of any pay increase. DHBs' spokesperson, Mrs. Karen Roach said that the DHBs are happy that the strike has been called off and the employees have agreed on the terms.

According to her this is an agreement which is affordable and fair as compared with those already reached with over 90% of the health workforce.

Mrs. Roach added, "This stable agreement means the public can have faith and confidence that there will not be any disruptions to laboratory and blood services in the near future."