Minister fails miners

November 19, 2009
Media Release

Minister fails miners

The National Government has failed New Zealand’s miners by turning its back on sensible safety recommendations, says the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union.

The call follows a decision by the Minister of Labour to reject reintroducing the requirement for safety check inspectors – democratically elected worker representatives who focus on worksite safety, equipment standards and safety procedures which the union has been campaigning for over the last three years.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little says the minister has failed miners.

“The check inspector system is proven to increase safety and by rejecting it the minister is failing every Kiwi who works in this dangerous industry.

“The key to mining safety is teamwork and trust and the way to ensure that is to allow miners to elect a check inspector from amongst their own ranks so they can have full confidence in the person setting and enforcing the rules.

“The idea of check inspectors isn’t a new one. Until 1992 these positions were required by regulation and they still exist in the UK and Australia as a proven way of significantly increasing worker safety.

“The minister claims that the decision was made to reject check inspectors because employers strongly opposed the measure but it’s not the employers or the minister who risk their lives at the coalface every day.

“The EPMU will continue to campaign for elected check inspectors for the simple reason that our members’ lives depend on it.”

The EPMU represents 45,000 working New Zealanders including more than 1000 miners.

ENDS

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