Workers at a Northland quarry have walked off the job this morning and arepicketing the site, stopping traffic from entering the site on State Highway One south of Whangarei.
Twenty workers at Atlas Quarry, on the southern side of the Brynderwyn Hills, about 25km north of Wellsford, gave notice of
strike action last night. Early today, they picketed the front entrance of the quarry, preventing trucks from going into the site.
Shortly after 9am, the workers moved their picket to the top of the Brynderwyns and at some stage would return to picket the front gates, First Union spokeswoman Louisa Jones said.
Jones said the workers, including truck drivers and quarry workers, were striking over pay and conditions, mainly wanting to remove a clause in their contract which made truck drivers available to work for up to 88 hours a week.
She said the workers are getting around $20 an hour, less than the industry standard of around $24 an hour.
