Nelson seafarers pay respects at Pike disaster anniversary

A del­e­ga­tion of Mar­itime Union mem­bers from Nel­son have com­mis­sioned a memo­r­i­al shield to take to the sev­enth anniver­sary of the Pike Riv­er Min­ing dis­as­ter on Novem­ber 19.

Mar­itime Union Nel­son pres­i­dent Bill Lewis said the sea­far­ers would jour­ney to Black­ball to hon­our the mem­o­ry of the 29 min­ers who died in the dis­as­ter.

“We have friends and fra­ter­nal con­nec­tions with­in the min­ing com­mu­ni­ty,” Bill said. “Any progress has been made from those at the bot­tom, not at the top. Hope­ful­ly, that is about to change.”

Some of the fam­i­lies of the men who died in the dis­as­ter wel­comed the new government’s hope of return­ing their loved ones’ bod­ies.

Labour, NZ First and the Greens, the par­ties that make up the new gov­ern­ment, announced their sup­port for manned re-entry into the mine.

“We offer sym­pa­thy and sup­port to the fam­i­lies of the min­ers,” Bill said. “We too, along with many oth­ers, have a sense of out­rage about the cal­lous treat­ment of the affect­ed fam­i­lies … there is now a refresh­ing feel­ing that truth and jus­tice will be achieved.

The shield fea­tures the names of the Pike 29 along with a miner’s lamp fixed at the top. It will be placed on the memo­r­i­al wall at For­mer­ly the Black­ball Hilton.

Repub­lished with per­mis­sion from the Nel­son Week­ly.