The 90 members will strike from 7.15pm on Saturday until 7.15pm on Monday.

The strike is the first of a series of planned stoppages over the coming weeks.

OceanaGold has enjoyed a record profit this year, with the company boasting of strong margins and promising greater returns to shareholders.

E tū organiser, Myles Leeson says the Waihi mine is also expanding, with recent surveys revealing a rich vein of gold in a new field – up to seven times the amount that was expected.

“The company’s doing really well, and they’ve got to share that with the workers,” says Myles.

“They need to remember who digs that gold out of the ground for them and reward them with a fair pay rise.”

Myles says members have agreed to a union-initiated roster which reduces their excessive hours which have led to problems with fatigue. However, he says this will mean pay cuts of up to 19 percent.

“They’ve accepted this and are comfortable with it. They’ve been working ridiculous hours to get a decent wage. So, they need a fair pay rate, so they can earn a living without unsafe working hours.”