November 19, 2012
Media Release
Miners’ union mourns Pike River 29
The EPMU will host a public memorial in Blackball this evening together with the local community to commemorate the two
year anniversary of the Pike River tragedy.
The memorial will take place from 6pm at the Blackball Workers’ Museum.
EPMU assistant national secretary Ged O’Connell says:
“This evening’s service is about honouring the 29 men who died at Pike River. We will stand with the families and with
the local community and we will mourn this loss together.
“We acknowledge the efforts of the families to recover the bodies of their loved ones and we will continue to support
the recovery in any way we can.
“But while we mourn for the dead, we must also fight for the living.
“The Royal Commission’s report shows this tragedy was avoidable, and our union will continue to campaign for the
report’s recommendations to be implemented in full.
“If we are to truly honour the memory of the Pike River 29 then we must ensure this is never allowed to happen again.”
ENDS