On Friday the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union said work would resume at Solid’s four largest mines over the weekend as talks for a new multi-employer collective agreement start up again after more than three weeks of industrial action.

 

But workers at the Rotowaro and Huntly East coal mines have rejected an offer from Solid and are back on strike, according to the National Business Review.

 

The newspaper reported the Stockton and Spring Creek mines were still operating but the workers would delay considering an offer until a deal was struck with their colleagues at Rotowaro and Huntly East.

 

EPMU spokesperson Rob Egan has previously told ILN the union traditionally tries to negotiate the MECA with the biggest parties, then aims to get subsequent parties onboard over the following year, making the agreement “an award by proxy”

 

Solid estimated the cost of the industrial action, when held across the four mines, was up to $NZ10 million ($US7.23 million) a week.

 

“If we start to lose customer orders, then we will have no choice but to cut jobs,” Solid chief executive Barry Brag said two weeks ago.