Protesters will picket on the road outside North Shore Hospital ahead of further strikes later in the week

Health workers have begun three days of strike action across Auckland hospitals to protest what they say is unfair cost-cutting.

The Public Services Association said steps had been put in place to make sure life threatening services were maintained during the strikes beginning on Tuesday.

PSA representative Andy Colwell said the health boards were pushing workers past their limits in an attempt to provide seven days of services for patients.

"We are already missing breaks and working overtime, often for free, to try to protect our patients from the dangerous effects of the Government's health cuts."

Colwell said government cuts of $1.7b from public health meant New Zealanders were missing out on quality care.

"The DHBs plan to stretch their staff further in an attempt to provide seven days of services to patients, but we're working past our limits just trying to cover five days right now.

"The DHBs know their changes are unfair so they are only proposing they apply to new staff, but we're taking a stand for the future of our public health system and for patients."

The association has suggested postponing a proposed payrise for six months to save money, but said the DHB was instead changing pay rates for new members in an effort to scramble much needed money.

The health boards, in a statement, said the crux of the issue was the rate of pay for 'ordinary', non-overtime work at weekends.

Auckland PSA members currently received double time for weekend work after midday on Saturday while other DHB employees around the country received time-and-a-half.

Doctors and nurses nationwide were on the same terms.

Auckland DHB spokeswoman Julie Patterson said it was disappointing the strikes were going ahead. "They are effectively striking to protect conditions that the DHBs have already indicated that they are prepared to see continue for them."

Patterson said the Auckland DHBs paid around $4m on the 'double time' weekend premium each year to about 1000 of their 3000 allied staff. "If the current double time for allied staff were to continue for all staff, then the DHBs would face a different cost profile when thinking about how and where to extend services and which workforce to focus on in doing so. Patients increasingly want to attend clinics and elective surgery at weekends."

Patterson said the DHB was now asking the PSA to withdraw their current strike action and return to the bargaining table to resolve the matter.

Tuesday's strikes are part of wider action involving 3000 workers from more than 40 different roles including physiotherapists, dietitians and laboratory technicians across all three Auckland DHBs to protest what the PSA called plans to stretch new staff beyond breaking point.

The strikes would take place at North Shore Hospital on Tuesday, Auckland Hospital on Wednesday and Middlemore Hospital on Thursday.

Patients with appointments over the next two weeks should contact their DHB to double check that no disruption has occurred because of the strikes.