Wodonga’s Melissa McDonald, a single mother to one-year-old Kayden, said it was a mentally and monetarily exhausting time. 

“It’s a difficult time for everyone who’s gone on strike or been locked out emotionally and financially,” she said.

After an initial strike workers returned to work last Tuesday, and the union gave Dorevitch chief executive Neville Moller an ultimatum to “come to the table” by Friday noon or workers would indefinitely strike. 

While the Health Workers Union has a strike fund to assist workers, Miss McDonald said it would be hard to get through the next few months if the strike continued.

“I’m a single mother, I only have one income,” she said.

“Life is looking a little bleak at the moment, I’m lucky for the support of my mum and I get a bit of Centrelink, I’m actually really lucky.

“It’s hard now, but when we win it’ll be better – it won’t feel like we’re working for nothing.”

After 10 years without a pay increase, Dorevitch workers were offered a zero per cent rise this year. The union is asking for a pay rise between 12 and 26 per cent.

Miss McDonald said during the recent strike only five of Dorevitch’s 26 Border centres were open.

She said she hoped the community understood workers were not being greedy, they just needed better conditions and pay to support their families. 

“At the moment I’m working to pay cover care basically and that’s all,” she said.

“Those of us who went back to work Tuesday to Friday copped a lot of flak from those who didn’t strike.

“We just want Dorevitch to come to the table, to give us anything to tell us that we’re worth something.”

Miss McDonald doesn’t believe Mr Moller will enter negotiations until his bottom line is affected.

She asked people to avoid Dorevitch services locally and attend other clinics. 

A Dorevitch spokeswoman said the company was experiencing minimal disruption to services with contingencies implemented. 

“Our laboratories are continuing to process tests and work with GPs to deliver results as per usual,” she said.