More than three thousand doctors stopped work around the country this morning, with the strike leading to the postponement of hundreds of operations and appointments in the southern region.
All hospitals in the south have been affected by the strike, but remain open for emergencies and essential care.
A spokesperson says a junior doctor can be rostered on for fifty to sixty hours on an average week, but the demands of the job often see them working for longer.
Under the current proposal from district health boards, resident doctors face losing rostered days off for extended hours and weekend work.
DHBs say the organisations has been trying to negotiate an agreement, which enables clinicians and hospital managers to make decisions locally about work rosters.
