KEY POINTS:
Australian miners refused to cross a picket line at the Spring Creek coal mine on the West Coast yesterday as industrial action there entered its fourth day.
About 140 Reefton and Dunollie miners were due to meet in Runanga at 1pm to decide their next step.
The Spring Creek miners walked off the job on Friday morning.
They arrived late to work and when management refused to provide transport for them, the industrial action escalated to a full strike.
Miners from the Terrace underground mine, in Reefton, have since joined them. Union members from both sites were again away from work yesterday morning.
Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union Spring Creek delegate Glen Campbell said about 15 miners formed a picket line yesterday morning.
The Australians, brought in to help with development work at the mine, would not cross it.
"Their position is: if there is a picket line, no way they'll cross it."
Mr Campbell said they had not heard from Solid Energy over the weekend.
The dispute involved more than 800 coal miners nationwide and came after negotiations to renew the mining industry multi-employer collective agreement collapsed last month.
Industrial action began last week and initially involved a nationwide ban on overtime and rolling stoppages.
The union is seeking a pay rise of between 5.0 and 5.5 per cent.
Solid Energy said contractors, including the Australians, had not turned up for work at Spring Creek.
"The mine is open for work [but] no one has turned up."
- NZPA
