Union upset Pike River's lawyers called in

Andrew Little. Photo / Richard Robinson

The miners' union says Pike River Coal is insisting that its lawyers sit in on official police and Department of Labour investigation interviews into the mine tragedy which claimed 29 lives.

The union said that was potentially "contaminating" the process.

However, Pike River said today it was only making employees - many of whom had no prior contact with the police - aware of their legal rights.

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union, which represents miners, said today the company's stance was causing major conflict.

"Management is insisting on the right of company lawyers to sit in on interviews. Their lawyers are sitting in on interviews with the Department of Labour and police," general secretary Andrew Little said.

"We have objected - it's a clear conflict of interest. Police are looking for criminal liability among workers or management, or both. It's improper for the company to be represented by lawyers in those interviews."

Mr Little also claimed Pike River was briefing employees on the day they were due to be interviewed, and that was contaminating the investigations.

However, Pike River Coal chairman John Dow said it was up to individual employees whether lawyers sat in on the interviews.

The company was only trying to ensure its staff got the appropriate advice on their rights, and how the process worked.

"We are trying to find out what happened, our only interest is getting to the bottom of it - what caused the explosion and making sure it won't happen again.

"We've said to our employees that if they are not happy having lawyers in the room, that's fine."

The company had already said it would fully co-operate with the police, Department of Labour and coroner, and would make staff available for interviews.

Pike River would conduct its own inquiry and was interested in the truth, not conflict.

The briefings beforehand were solely about the workers' rights, and the company was working in a spirit of "co-operation and openness".

However, Mr Little said the union was advising its members to ask that the lawyers not attend interviews. Every time an employee had done so it had caused "major conflict".

The union was having "stand-up conflicts" with the company and its lawyers, he said.

A Department of Labour (DOL) spokesman said it was the employee's choice to decide whether company lawyers or other representatives attended on DOL interviews.

"We are informing employees that they have this choice."

- NZPA