A long-running strike at a New Caledonian mine over the restructure at the SLN nickel company may deepen.
SLN smelter is in Noumea Photo: RNZ Walter Zweifel
Reports say pickets have been set up at two more SLN mines in solidarity with those on strike at the mine in Thio since mid-January.
The strikers oppose the restructure of the working week, which calls for more hours on working days but fewer days of work to increase productivity.
In Thio, workers also object to working on Sundays.
With its 2000 staff, SLN is New Caledonia's biggest private sector employer, but in the past seven years it has run up losses of about $US1 billion.