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Miners strike outside Stockton mine - Source: ONE News -
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Union members on strike at Solid Energy's four main mines will return to work on Saturday morning after three and a half weeks of strike action.
Around 1,000 Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) members had been picketing in support of colleagues at Solid Energy's Rotowaro mine in Huntly.
The Rotowaro workers were locked out on October 27 after beginning go-slow industrial action in response to failed contract negotiations with their employers.
Workers at Stockton open-cast mine in Buller and Spring Creek Mine near Greymouth are all part of a multi-employer collective agreement with the state-owned mining company and its contractors.
The agreement has not been ratified despite expiring months ago.
The EPMU says the miners' decision to return to work was contingent on negotiations with state-owned Solid Energy, also resuming on Saturday morning.
The union would not comment further until after negotiations.
Solid Energy chief operating officer Barry Bragg says the company was pleased crews were returning to work so bargaining could resume.
The company earlier said the strike had cost it about $10 million in lost production a week.
Customers in Japan, India and South Africa were warned export shipments would be delayed and the four strikes had undermined progress made towards securing the long-term future for the company, Solid Energy said.
One striking Stockton miner told the Westport News he believed most people would want to get back to work as the strike was hurting them.
"A lot of people are only going to get one, or two days, in this fortnight's pay. A lot are very, very concerned because of mortgages and things like that."
He had heard 10 Stockton miners had resigned after the strike
started and returned to Christchurch, because they could not afford
to be without work.
