The makers of Purex want more than $500,000 from its Kawerau Mill workers and their union.

The union representing workers locked out by Purex manufacturer Essity says the company is threatening 67 employees with more than $500,000 in damages.

Three weeks ago about 145 workers were locked out indefinitely without pay at the Essity’s Kawerau mill, which makes Purex toilet paper and Handee paper towels.

Essity was seeking to make 67 individual employees “jointly and severally liable” with the union for $542,852 of damages plus costs, the union said on Monday.

“They'll be they'll be going after each of those individuals, and the damages they're seeking [are] about $580,000,” said Tane Phillips, Pulp and Paper Union Kawerau secretary.

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Phillips said Essity’s legal action related to a strike notice issued by the union in July, before the company imposed the lockout.

He said the union would defend its members “vigorously”.

“We believe that we did the union and the workers did nothing wrong. They acted within the law.”

The lockout was imposed by the company after wage negotiations broke down. The company was offering a 3% pay rise plus a cash incentive of $1500 per year over three years, but union members wanted a...

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