World mining union watching Pike River

Last updated 05:00 02/07/2011

FIRST STEP: An airtight seal, 170 metres from the mine entrance, is due to be finished today.

The international mining community is closely watching the Pike River inquiry amid concerns about the mine's standards, a visiting union head says.

International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine & General Workers Unions (ICEM) general secretary Manfred Warda said the mining community was shocked such a tragedy could happen in New Zealand.

It would closely watch the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the mining disaster, due to start on July 11.

"There have been many questions outside of New Zealand," he said. "We are interested in whether there are lessons beyond New Zealand we have to take from this terrible accident."

Warda criticised Pike River's gas monitoring, saying he believed it was below standards used for decades in Europe.

The ventilation system was also "rather unusual" and deregulation of mining in the 1990s led to the loss of mine inspectors, he said.

Warda, whose father and many uncles were underground coalminers, said the ICEM backed an international boycott of the mine unless an acceptable plan to recover the bodies of the workers killed in the mine was in place.

"Mine workers are a special community with a very strong feeling of solidarity.

"You first need to recover the bodies."

The group, which represents 80 mining unions worldwide, also wanted to offer condolences to men's families.

Yesterday, Warda and two other ICEM officials met Greymouth Mayor Tony Kokshoorn and Bernie Monk, spokesman for families of the 29 men killed by explosions at the mine last November. They also met New Zealand Engineering, Printing & Manufacturing Union (EPMU) officials and would visit the West Coast mine today.

Before heading to Greymouth, the ICEM officials laid a wreath near the Canterbury Television site to commemorate Christchurch earthquake victim PhD student Didem Yaman, 31, the Turkish niece of an ICEM official.

Meanwhile, an airtight temporary seal 170 metres into the mine's tunnel to stop oxygen entering was due to be completed today.

PricewaterhouseCoopers receiver Malcolm Hollis said options to recover the 2.3km tunnel up to the rockfall would be considered at a meeting with the families' lawyers next week.

He hoped it would take about two or three months to recover the tunnel, once work to seal the mine was completed by the end of July.

Gas levels would be closely monitored next week and once the mine was deemed stable, the section could be ventilated to allow mine staff to erect two sets of double steel doors at the mine's entrance to properly seal it.

The receivers planned to put a "best endeavour" condition in the mine's sale and purchase agreement relating to retrieval of the bodies.

Potential buyers of the mine were well aware of the issues around body recovery, he said.

However, it was difficult to make body recovery a definite condition because it was unknown whether it was possible and safe, Hollis said.

"At the end of the day, safety is paramount."

The mine's sale had attracted "a good level of interest" from local and international organisations.

It was hoped its new owners could take over the mine by September or October.

- The Press

World mining union watching Pike River

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