Kinleith update – talks adjourned, workers to meet

Talks have adjourned in the Kinleith pulp and paper mill dispute with little progress being made.

Two hundred and seventy workers at the Carter Holt Harvey-owned mill have been on strike since last Friday in frustration over the fact that their collective employment agreement isn’t settled – nearly two years after the old one expired.

EPMU Auckland regional secretary Mike Sweeney, who has been involved in talks at Kinleith with mill managers for the past two days, said no further date for talks had been set.

Striking workers will meet in Tokoroa tomorrow (Friday) morning to discuss the dispute, and the union will next week start holding meetings of workers at other Carter Holt Harvey sites.

The company is trying to bring in a system which would allow it to promote and demote at will, instead of the present fair and transparent system. It also wants production workers to fight fires, something the union considers to be a serious health and safety problem.