June 1, 2005
Media release
Coal miners head back to the table
Negotiations for a national coal-mining collective employment agreement will resume in Christchurch on Wednesday and
Thursday of next week (June 8 and 9).
Some 700 miners, represented by the EPMU, are pushing for a national agreement for miners for all companies, at all
mines, and want employers to make a commitment to working towards pay parity between mines.
The negotiations have been tense, with miners taking several days’ strike action, and state-owned enterprise Solid
Energy last week about to close the Spring Creek mine at Greymouth.
EPMU national secretary Andrew Little says that claims by Solid Energy that the union had agreed not to strike as a
condition of the mine remaining open are completely untrue.
“The company asked for such an agreement, but it was not given,” he said.
“The members at Spring Creek and the union expressed a strong desire to keep the mine open, but gave no undertakings
about their position in negotiations.”
Ends