Auckland DHBs are urging thousands of health workers to call off a full strike planned for early next month.
Up to 3000 staff said today they would walk off the job for four hours on 8 April.
The Public Service Association (PSA) members planning to strike include social workers, physiotherapists, scientists and technicians.
They are upset over a plan by the region's three DHBs to pay new employees time-and-a-half rather than double-time rates for ordinary hours worked over the weekend.
The boards say the higher rates, which only apply in Auckland, cost $4 million a year and the money is needed to improve services.
The PSA said the strike would go ahead regardless of a DHB request to the Employment Relations Authority for independent, non-binding facilitation to end the dispute.
