Damien
O’Connor

MP for West Coast-Tasman

25 October 2012 MEDIA STATEMENT

Job Losses Grim News For Thousands Of Coasters

Spring Creek miners have been dealt the grimmest of pre-Christmas blows with news that they no longer have jobs, West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O’Connor says.

“The tragedy is that not only does this directly affect the miners and their families but thousands of others on the Coast who relied on the mine and its workers for their livelihoods as well.

“Just four weeks ago Solid Energy was saying it was looking for potential partners for Spring Creek and its financial success was ‘an absolute priority’ for the Government.

“What a joke. The entire process has been about getting Solid Energy ready for sale.

“Still, that John Key should pretend otherwise is hardly surprising. Saying one thing and then doing another is becoming a disturbing trend.

“The Government has played these miners for suckers. Now it’s put the boot in and it will have a huge impact not only on Greymouth, but the wider Coast community.

“The miners put a proposal to the Government to keep Spring Creek open. They were willing to do the hard yards, to take an opportunity and run with it.

“Unfortunately National doesn’t appear to know what the word ‘opportunity’ means. Its oversight of the coal mining industry has been a disaster from start to finish.

“Jobs created in the industry under a Labour Government have been destroyed through lax oversight by the Department of Labour and now lax management by Solid Energy.

“The West Coast is once again in the position of having to fight for a future in the face of uncalculated and uncaring National management,” said Damien O’Connor.

labour.org.nz

ENDS

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