Miners vote to end strike

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union members at Solid Energy's four main mines have voted to return to work this Saturday.

About 800 miners went on strike, some more than a month ago, in support of locked out miners at Huntly's Rotowaro open-cast mine.

The miners' decision was contingent on negotiations between the union and state-owned Solid Energy, which will start on Saturday morning, the union said this morning.

It said it would not comment any further until after negotiations.

The strike has affected mines at Rotowaro and Huntly East in the North Island, and Stockton and Spring Creek in Buller and the West Coast.

All four mines are part of a multi-employer collective agreement with Solid Energy and its contractors which has not been ratified despite expiring months ago.

- NZPA