August 24, 2017
Forestry death a system failure
The Council for Trade Unions says the forestry industry and government aren't doing enough to keep workers safe.
A tangi is being held this week for Te Oho Mauri Piripi ("Piri") Bartlett, who died working a forest in Tauwhareparae, near Tolaga Bay, on Monday.
CTU president Richard Wagstaff says the 23-year-old farther of one was the fifth forestry worker to die on the job this year.
He says the industry and Work Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse need to apply the sort of scrutiny to health and safety as happened in the mining industry after the Pike River disaster.
"Forestry once again is leading the way as a deadly industry to work in and efforts have to be improved dramatically to get this figure down. We're especially worried because we know the forest harvest is going to boom in the next few years and if we keep operating like the the number getting killed is going to increase," Mr Wagstaff says.
He says since the introduction of the Employment Contracts Act union members in forestry has plummeted, meaning workers and Maori are denied a voice on safety.
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