Workers strike at Rautaruukki mill in Finland

HELSINKI Aug 4 (Reuters) - Workers at Finnish steel maker Rautaruukki's Raahe plant downed tools on Thursday morning for two days to protest low wages paid to Polish bricklayers working at the site, the metalworkers union said.

"There is an illegal strike ongoing at Raahe mill. The majority of the 2,400 employees is estimated to be participating in the strike," Rautaruukki spokeswoman Teija Salmela said.

She added the employees had announced they would return to their jobs from Saturday morning at 6 a.m. (0300 GMT).

Blast furnace 2 in Raahe was shut down at the end of June for around two months for modernisation. The modernisation work is being carried out by a German construction and engineering firm Beroa. (Reporting by Terhi Kinnunen; Editing by Will Waterman)