Almost 400 Bay of Plenty District Health Board workers are part of 12,000 health workers nationwide voting to take strike action in attempts to solve an 'insulting” national pay dispute.

Nurses in the Public Service Association are threatening strike action over a rejected offer of a 0.7 per cent pay rise by District Health Boards.

Bay of Plenty District Health Board workers are involved in a national pay dispute.

They are seeking at least 2 per cent or will work to rule, ban overtime and may even walk off the job in what the PSA says could be the biggest industrial action in New Zealand for a decade.

Bay of Plenty District Health Board has 374 workers covered by these strike notices.

The workers nationwide include mental and public health nurses; physiotherapists; anaesthetic technicians; dental therapists, administrative staff and a number of other occupational groups.

The 12,000 health workers will begin strike action with a work to rule policy on August 25, followed by an overtime ban, and two days of strike action if no settlement is reached.

The proposed protest comes after months of failed negotiations between staff and employers.

PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff says 81.7 per cent of DHB workers are in favour of industrial action, showing the seriousness of the funding crisis in the health sector.

'Our members take their duty of care very seriously, it is a huge step for them to even consider taking such strong action,” says Richard.

'DHB staff work hard to keep New Zealanders healthy, but their own wellbeing is put under increasing strain by these insulting offers.”

Richard confirms PSA is entering into mediation with DHBs during the next fortnight in an attempt to settle before industrial action.

'Budget documents say DHBs expect a 17 per cent increase in demand over the ten years to 2021, but they won't get the funding to match and they're planning to squeeze it out of staff.

'Our members are asking to be fairly recognised for the hard work they put in to keep our health system running – an annual pay rise shouldn't start with a decimal point.”

New Zealand Nurses Organisation president and Bay of Plenty District Health Board member Marion Guy could not be reached for comment.

What PSA workers are voting for:

• Work to rule from August 25 - September 10

• impose an overtime ban between September 1 - 10

• Hold a two-hour strike for each eight-hour shift on September 2

• Hold a three-hour strike for each eight-hour shift on September 10