Back to work at Kinleith

Workers at the Carter Holt Harvey-owned Kinleith pulp and paper mill near Tokoroa returned to work yesterday after a two-day strike, but pay talks are to resume next week.

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union said the 270 production workers who had protested over inadequate pay offers and a cut to their annual leave headed back to work as normal.

It said the workers were offered a 4 per cent pay increase this year and 3 per cent increase next year, as well as having a week's annual leave taken off shift workers.

That was not enough when the going rate was 5 per cent and inflation was heading to 3.5 per cent.