Northland linemen are waiting for a new phone lines sub-contractor to be taken on after reaching an agreement with a company Telecom hired to look after the area.
Up to 400 Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) members refused to sign contracts with Australian company Visionstream, taken on by Telecom's lines company Chorus to introduce a contractor model for Auckland and Northland linemen.
The linemen objected to becoming owner/operators rather than employees and began taking industrial action in August.
The industrial action caused a substantial backlog to line work in Northland in particular, and EPMU spokesman Joe Gallagher said its members were eventually called back in to help deal with the backlog.
Mr Gallagher said Visionstream had agreed to change its operating style in Northland.
"Visionstream accepted it can't run an individual contracting model in Northland," he told NZPA.
"We are now waiting for them to find a sub-contractor, which will be taking on linemen as waged staff."
Mr Gallagher said negotiations were continuing but he was unsure how soon a sub-contractor would be taken on.
Mr Gallagher said a slightly different situation would exist in Auckland, where there would be several different contractors and sub-contractors working.
The industrial action affected homes and businesses which depend on the engineers' work on lines.
