Thousands of public health staff, including contact tracers and those processing Covid-19 tests, have voted to strike as the Government prepares for the rising wave of Omicron cases.

About 10,000 district health board staff including 600 people who work in labs and about 100 who work as contact tracers, will strike for 24-hour strikes on March 4 and 18, PSA organiser Will Matthews said.

“There are over 70 groups of workers who will take strike action: from laboratory workers, who are responsible for the swift testing and return of Covid-19 tests, and Covid-19 contact tracers, to sterile supplies technicians who clean and sterilise all surgical equipment prior to procedures,” he said.

Staff will strike over low pay, and poor working conditions. Many departments have vacancies of up to 66 per cent and had exceptionally high workloads.

“Almost all the workers, you take them out and the health sector falls apart.”

The strike comes after 15 months of failed negotiations. Staff would organise to ensure life-preserving services would still be available on the days of the strike.

“Health workers striking is always a last option,” he said.

It showed the “depth of frustration at the Government which has been trading on goodwill for too long”.