June 25, 2004

Tribute to Pat Kelly

The country’s largest union today paid tribute to Pat Kelly, who died yesterday.

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little said that the impact and influence that Mr Kelly had had on the lives of working people would endure.

“Pat Kelly was unfailing in his support for working people, and continued to command great respect even after his retirement.”

Mr Little was a member of Mr Kelly’s cleaners and contractors’ union while working as a security guard in the 1990s.

“Pat is a person for whom I had enormous respect,” Mr Little said today. “He was a genuine battler and a colourful character, and was able to bring together the various groups on the left.”

Mr Kelly was president of the Wellington Trades Council in 1984 when Trades Hall was bombed, killing cleaner Ernie Abbot.

ENDS

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