Fri, November 21, 2003

Blood taken in N.S. taxis could endanger blood supply, striking workers say

HALIFAX (CP) - Donated blood transported inside cardboard boxes by taxi drivers in Nova Scotia could easily be tampered with, possibly endangering the country's blood supply, say striking workers.

The employees of the Canadian Blood Services want the non-profit organization to stop using untrained cabbies to transport blood from Sydney, N.S., to Halifax three times a week. They say the packages, sometimes placed in hatchbacks or vans with other products, could pose a health risk because the drivers don't know how to handle blood and could potentially tamper with plastic seals on the boxes.

"We've raised it at the bargaining table . . . and basically all we got was a shrug of the shoulders," said Ron Stockton, spokesman for the Nova Scotia Union of Public and Private Employees, Local 12 during a news conference on Friday.

"It's that same attitude that, 'Nothing's happened, we're meeting the regulations so we're not going to do anything because it's cheaper to use cabs and couriers."'

Stockton said the workers want Canadian Blood Services to enact their own regulations until the federal and provincial governments set standards. He said the organization should also return to using unionized drivers who are trained in handling the hazardous material.

Taxis and couriers are also used to transport blood in some instances in Alberta and in other parts of the country, though Newfoundland has stopped the practice, he said.

The clinic assistants, drivers and donor recruitment co-ordinators have been on strike in Halifax for the last two weeks.

Sharon Fraser, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Blood Services, said earlier this week that there have never been any incidents resulting from taxis carrying blood. She called the blood-holding containers "tamper-proof."

A news release from agency said Friday that the packing process and materials are designed to withstand the wear and tear of taxi transport.

"For example, every box is sealed with a tamper-proof clasp," said the release. "If this seal or the contents of the box have been compromised in any way, the products are not used."

The agency said the exterior cardboard boxes used to ship blood products are industrial-strength cardboard.

The interior of the box is a styrofoam container that prevents the plasticized contents from being jostled during shipment.

Fraser also said taxis have been used for the past five years, but strikers haven't made it an issue until now.

The employees want a $2 increase in hourly wages, which range from about $15 to $18, plus another 10 per cent increase in salary over three years. There are no scheduled negotiations.

They have been without a collective agreement since March 2002.

The blood agency has offered two per cent wage increases in each of the first two years and a 2.5 per cent increase in the third.

__________________
Mr. Jan B. Wade
Blood Management Consultant
Enhance Outcomes - Control Cost
For Information Call - 360 296-1807
Email