Hospitals around the country have had to cancel surgery after talks between District Health Boards and medical laboratory workers break down. The boards and the Medical Laboratory Workers Union, which represents around 1200 members from 15 DHBS were in mediation yesterday in an 11th hour bid to halt today's strike action. However, the parties failed to reach a compromise. DHB spokesman Gordon Davies is accusing the union of being unable to compromise, making it impossible to move forward. He says the union has a list of wants and is not prepared to budge on any of them.