Cynical decision will bleed community

News that over 200 Spring Creek miners will lose their jobs confirms that this outrageous decision was predetermined and made weeks ago, West Coast Labour MP Damien O’Connor says.

“The miners, their families and the West Coast community were told that the Spring Creek review was genuine.

“Miners from the coalface committed their wisdom, their time and their energy to look at alternative ways to keep the mine operating.

“They managed to find $60 million in savings when the management of Solid Energy had failed in 14 separate mine plans to keep the costs under control.

“Just last week the Government said it was ‘an absolute priority’ to work with Solid Energy to make Spring Creek financially successful. It had a moral and ethical obligation to consider closely and carefully the proposal from the miners and management that was only finalised last Thursday.

“The decision today indicates that neither Solid Energy or the Government were genuinely concerned about job losses.

“As company review documents reveal, this whole sorry saga has been about tidying Solid Energy up for listing on the stock exchange and providing investment opportunities for the few New Zealanders who can afford to buy shares

“Solid Energy will now have coal in the ground, minimal costs, and a more attractive proposition for investors.

“This cynical restructure of the company - which also affects miners in Huntly and corporate staff in Christchurch - will gut the town of Greymouth and destroy the spirit of a community that has relied on what it now knows were empty promises from Solid Energy and from the Government,” said Damien O’Connor.