International mining union offficials visit Christchurch, Greymouth

The general secretary of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine & General Workers’ Unions (ICEM) Manfred Warda arrives in Christchurch on Friday 1 July as a guest of the NZ Engineering, Printing & Manufacturing Union (EPMU).

The purpose of his visit is to obtain a briefing about the Pike River mine disaster which has received worldwide attention and to pay his respects to the deceased miners on behalf of miners around the world.

Warda will be travelling with two other ICEM officials – Asia Pacific regional representative and materials industries officer Jungsun Phee, and general secretary of the ICEM Japan Affiliates’ Federation (JAF) and ICEM chief auditor Yoshio Sato.

Warda and his two colleagues will lay a wreath for the victims of the Christchurch earthquakes early on Friday morning, and then travel to Greymouth with EPMU assistant national secretary Ged O’Connell. At Greymouth they will meet over lunch with EPMU national secretary Andrew Little, Greymouth Mayor Mr Kokshoorn and Bernie Monk, spokesperson for the Pike River families.

There will be an opportunity for media to meet with EPMU and ICEM union officials, the Mayor and Monk at the EPMU offices in Greymouth at 2pm for half an hour. The format of the briefing will be a short introduction from Little and a statement by Warda, followed by media questions.

Later that afternoon Warda and his party will meet with EPMU union officials and delegates for a debrief on the Pike River disaster and progress on the Commission of Inquiry. On the following day the party will visit Pike River mine and lay a wreath in memory of the 29 men who died there, and then return to Christchurch. Warda and his colleagues fly out of Christchurch on the evening of Saturday 2 July to Auckland.

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