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5 October, 2005
New Zealand’s unions will embark on a third round of stop-work actions at Carter Holt Harvey’s (CHH) wood and paper operations starting tomorrow. ICEM affiliates Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) and the National Distribution Union are protesting the company’s inferior pay offers of 2.8% to 4%. NZ unions have set a minimum pattern of 5% across all sectors. On 12 September, workers at five CHH wood products plants and one paper converting operation engaged in one-day strikes, and subsequent rolling work stoppages occurred at other jobsites. Workers at one of the company’s pulp and paper mills—Kinleith—are also protesting a poor pay offer. A set of three-day talks between CHH and EPMU there concluded on 2 September with the company offering only 4% and less for some job classifications. The labour unrest comes when the 50.5% majority stakeholder of CHH, US based International Paper Co., has received a US$1.5 billion sale offer for sale to NZ’s richest individual, Graeme Hart and his Rank Group Investment Ltd. CHH’s board of directors, however, has recommended shareholders vote down the offer, saying it is 9.1% under the company’s true market value.