Union wants end to ‘hands off coal policy

Press, 4 February 1987, Page 6

Union wants end to ‘hands off coal policy

PA Hamilton The Minister of Energy, Mr Tizard, has to end his “hands off” policy on the coal pricing row if 400 Waikato coal jobs are to be saved, according to the president of United Mineworkers, Mr Ray Urquhart Mr Urquhart blamed “management incompetence” for New Zealand Electricity’s decision to back away from a contract to supply the Huntly power station. He said the crunch decision on whether the electricity corporation

had to use coal was in the hands of the Minister. New Zealand Electricity bas cut its coal needs in favour of natural gas for the Huntly station from 1.25 million tonnes to 500,000 to 600,000 tonnes. That signalled a huge drop in production at the Huntly coalfields. The decision came on top of threats by one of State Coal’s major customers, New Zealand Steel, to import coal. “People in Huntly are down in the dumps. Any mine closing in Huntly will cause massive prob-

lems,” Mr Urquhart said. Huntly people .were unhappy with the way Mr Tizard and the Government had handled the change to a State coal corporation. He said his union would lobby the Labour Party to protest against the way things were being done and to promote a different attitude. The Member of Parliament for Waikato, Mr Rob Storey, also said Mr Tizard had to accept responsibility for the contract row.