New Zealand toilet paper supply at risk due to factory lockout, union claims

Essity is the only toilet paper manufacturer in New Zealand. Photo / NZME

A union claims the country's toilet paper supply could be at risk after a local manufacturer locked 145 workers out of its Bay of Plenty plant indefinitely.

Essity is one of the world's largest hygiene and health companies and its brands include Purex, Sorbent, Libra and Handee, a Pulp and Paper Union Kawerau media release said.

The statement claimed management imposed the lockout after workers called for an inflation adjustment as part of their collective employment agreement negotiations. The lockout was indefinite.

Speaking to the Bay of Plenty Times, union secretary Tane Phillips said there were three contracts being negotiated on behalf of 145 people who worked at the Essity mill in Kawerau.

He said negotiations started in December but had been hard to progress due to Covid and the flu.

Phillips claimed Essity had given the union member workers an ultimatum to accept an offer "or they'll keep us locked out".

"We're trying to get them into negotiations. We've asked for mediation, but they've not agreed. They're telling us to accept the deal or nothing - they won't even talk to us unless we accept the deal," he claimed.

He said the locked-out workers worked throughout the pandemic.

"During Covid they really had to produce a lot of toilet paper ... so there will be an impact on the supply in New Zealand.

"Now what they're asking for is just CPI [Consumer Price Index] - if they don't get CPI, they're going backwards."

Essity has been approached for comment.