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CTU to submit at Pike River Inquiry
CTU Media Release
2 April 2012
CTU to submit at Pike River Inquiry
Ross Wilson, advocate for the CTU, will be presenting the CTU submission to the Pike River Inquiry today, said Helen Kelly, CTU President.
Helen Kelly says “we have been calling for improvements to mining regulations and inspection since well before the explosion at Pike River. We can’t wait and risk another disaster when we already know that other measures are also necessary, we need to do everything we can to make sure this does not happen again. This is the only part of the Inquiry where we have made a submission - on the broad policy settings and what needs to be changed.”
“Our submission today calls for a strengthened and independent tripartite agency responsible for the development, enforcement and administration of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992. This agency would provide the specialist focus that something as important as health and safety at work requires,” said Helen Kelly.
“We are calling for much increased employee participation in their health and safety at work. We know that worker participation in the identification, assessment and control of workplace hazards is fundamental to reducing work related injury and disease. Check inspectors, reinforced with a strong regulatory framework based on the mining regulations in Queensland, will create much a safer work environment for our miners.”
Helen Kelly said “we are also seeking that the offence of corporate manslaughter be introduced into New Zealand criminal law. To date, in this inquiry we have heard stories of health and safety concerns being ridiculed. We have heard testimony of overworked, under resourced health and safety inspectors, and of an increasingly dangerous mine. Until those responsible for the health and safety of the workers can be held directly responsible for the deaths of workers through corporate manslaughter charges, we feel that the present legal framework fails to recognise the moral outrage that a community feels when a death occurs.”
The full CTU submission is available at: http://union.org.nz/sites/union.org.nz/files/Phase%204%20CTU%20submission%20Final.pdf
ENDS
Scoop copy: Phase_4_CTU_submission_Final.pdf
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