  We report a spectroscopic study of 19 photometric variables and 55 blue,
yellow and red straggler candidates in the field of omega Centauri. We confirm
the cluster membership of 18 variables and 54 straggler candidates. Velocity
variations are detected in 22 objects, and another 17 objects are classified as
suspected of being velocity-variable. Velocity data of 11 photometric variables
phase with their photometric periods, however none of these objects has a mass
function indicating the presence of a massive degenerate component. Based on
both photometric and spectroscopic data we find that the fraction of binaries
among blue stragglers may be as high as 69 per cent.
