Protesting the layoff of 360 Miners and Contractors at Spring Creek Mine.2012. - ALBUM -

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Description Well over 1000 march through Greymouth protesting the mothballing and layoff of 360 Miners & Contractors at the Solid Energy’s Spring Creek Coalmine near Greymouth, September 2012
Downtown Greymouth came to a standstill as at least 1000 people filled the entire main street in a last ditch bid to save the Spring Creek Mine.

The Mayor, high school students, preschoolers, babies in prams and staunch coalminers wearing black marched to the beat of a drum at the front of the long protest rally, while at the rear they marched in near silence. The procession filled the length of Mackay Street, and shops came to a halt as staff crowded the windows and footpaths in a show of solidarity. Ged O’Connell from the Engineering.
Printing and Manufacturing Union said it was “about saving Greymouth as we know it. And we’re not going to sit back and let it happen without a fight,” Mr O’Connell said.
Mayor Tony Kokshoorn told the crowd that poor boardroom decisions had been made and cash reserves were gone, despite Solid Energy being a “billion dollar turnover business. We need the Government as owner to inject cash, but we do not need a handout or subsidy.” Miners had stayed on the West Coast but if the mine closed “they will raise the GDP of Australia”Date of Photo2012Map^[1]ContributorTony Kokshoorn

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Location (city or town)Spring CreekGreymouthOrganisation (eg business)Spring Creek MineEventProtesting the layoff of 360 Miners and Contractors at Spring Creek Mine.2012.

Category Information

Category TagCoal Mining

From Facebook

Date Created5th January 2022CommentsJohn Paget
Can always buy coal cheap from Indonesia.

Paul Sweeney
John Paget shit quality coal

John Paget
I was being sarcastic my brother in law who was the electrician lost his job when it closed.

Jamie Dalzell
Good on Damian O’Connor done the coast proud not

Sean Millington
What happens when Indonesia say ‘sorry no more’ we are keeping it for ourselves...no coal = no power for North islanders...hmmmm, wonder what the virtue signalling voters will think of that...

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