Forty Christchurch workers at Scott Technology went out holding a strike today after having refused the pay offered by the company.

The workers had wanted a 3.5 percent hike in their payment over a year, which backdated to the collective agreement's expiry on 6th December.

The company, based in Dunedin had given an offer that there would be a two-year pay hike in three increments of 2%, not backdated.

According to Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union organiser John Kaye, the offer made by the company would not have even kept up with the impact of inflation and in present circumstances it would just be plain miserable, particularly when it is being very bullish in the media regarding their upcoming future prospects.

He added that the company has come through a few hard of late and the workers have had to pay for it with redundancies. However, now that the things look more positive, their members are rightly asking for their fair and just shares.

The workers went on a strike today in the morning and are supposed to return and start working from Monday onwards. An overtime ban has also been started and put in place.