A mistake in filing notice for a four-day strike has resulted in the latest industrial action by resident doctors being called off.
Mediation talks between the Resident Doctors Association and district health boards are being held today.
A rancorous dispute concerning employment conditions has simmered all year without resolution.
Junior doctors have held several 48-hour strikes, and RDA senior advocate David Munro said members were now being balloted for possible further strike action later in April.
The planned four-day strike had to be abandoned after it was found notice of the strike notice was not sent to the chief executive of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Such notice is mandatory under the Employment Relations Act, so that MBIE can offer mediation before strikes occur.
"In this case mediation had already been set down for Friday, so there is no practical consequence to this human error," Mr Munro said.
"However, despite this, the DHBs indicated that they would seek to injunct the strike to prevent it going ahead, so the DHBs effectively forced our hand to stop the strike."
DHB spokesman Peter Bramley said DHBs were pleased the possibility of disruption to services just before Easter had been avoided.
"Our priority now remains finding an agreement and settling the underlying dispute so we can all focus on what's really important, caring for patients," Dr Bramley said.
"This dispute is fundamentally about control of the work environment.
"DHBs want to decide those rosters without the ability of RDA national office vetoing what's been agreed by local teams.
"No other union in health has that power."
The union maintains the rostering issue is one of ensuring clinician and patient safety.
