The New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) has suspended striking laboratory workers in Palmerston North again after about 14 weeks of industrial action.

The suspension notice was issued because of a one-week partial strike notice yesterday morning, and coincided with today's full strike notice lasting until Monday, NZBS marketing manager Paul Hayes said.

Workers from outside the region have been brought in to cover the six union members out of nine staff at the NZBS lab.

"There's been a steady escalation of action over the last 14 weeks and it just got to the point where it made life a lot easier to suspend those staff and operate the blood bank with staff we brought in from other regions. So we're actually operating a normal service in Palmerston North," Mr Hayes said.

Auckland and Waikato NZBS services were also affected by partial strikes, but non-union and management staff had covered striking staff.

Workers in Auckland and Palmerston North were suspended over strike action last month.

National District Health Board (DHB) spokeswoman Sharon Cuzens said no progress could be made despite negotiation dates continuing to be set as the union continued issuing strike notices.

The New Zealand Medical Laboratory Workers' Union was conducting ongoing low-level industrial action in support of five different contract negotiations, involving about 600 to 800 staff across the country, union secretary Byran Raill said.

The workers wanted a fair and equitable pay scheme, and have rejected two 1 percent offers.

Pay rates for scientists who had finished four years' study were lower than for nurses who had spent three years gaining their qualifications, he said.

The union was prepared to negotiate, and was in fact entering negotiations with the Canterbury DHB next Wednesday, he said.

More full strikes were planned in Auckland on October 19 and 20.

Union members had recently settled a collective agreement with Medlab South, which operates in Nelson, Timaru, Marlborough and Christchurch, and Southern Community Laboratories.