No. Way.
Asbestos on Chinese-made trains could cost workers lives
Cost-cutting exercises by KiwiRail could end up costing workers their lives if tests on Chinese-made trains show positive results for asbestos, the train drivers’ union says.It comes after 40 of the state-owned company’s locomotives were taken out of action following the discovery of the potentially deadly material in a soundproofing compound inside one of the vehicles on Friday.
Initial tests had confirmed the asbestos was contained and not a health risk, KiwiRail chief executive Peter Reidy said. However, further testing will be carried out tomorrow to see if the material had leaked into the air or onto surfaces of any of the trains.
Here is the latest from the RMTU…
• To date 34 of the 40 locomotives have been tested;
• The product degrades badly when heat is applied to it so degradation is bad near any welding, exhaust, turbo charger etc
• The air borne test results from 4 locomotives have been received from KiwiRail;
• No surface wipe test results (engine bay and both cabs) have been received to date;
• The material is sprayed onto the roof of the engine bay and on the inside of all external cab surround surfaces;
• Removal from the engine bay will be straight forward but the cab environment will be very difficult;
• We are discussing with KiwiRail medical checks and counselling options for staff who are concerned that they may have been exposed to the asbestos;
• A small number of DL’s have been identified by the tester as too toxic for people to go near.
…so let’s get this straight. The Government decides to buy these Chinese built trains at direct cost of hundreds of NZ jobs at the Dunedin railway workshop and they now turn out to be potentially riddled with asbestos.
To destroy NZ jobs is bad enough, to destroy the health of those working in those trains is Pike River-esk levels of incompetence.
This is a damaging example of the true values of this government, but it isn’t leading the political news, it’s in the shadows of the feeding frenzy over Cunliffe wanting to protect those who supported his leadership run.
The mainstream media are far more interested in creating a narrative structure that Cunliffe is ‘tricky’ rather than hold the Government to account.
The lives of workers are not as important in the news rooms of ‘Fairfax’ than the need to disable a political leader promising real left wing change.
[…] Again, this is another damaging example of the true values of this government towards workers, but it isn’t leading the political news, it’s in the shadows of the feeding frenzy over Cunliffe wanting to protect those who supported his leadership run. […]
Yes, it’s called “labour and environmental arbitrage”, in which workers from other countries are contracted to do work for a) less money, b) with no regard to THEIR safety or health and c) with no regard to THEIR environmental impact (i.e. pollution). This is part and parcel neoliberalism and free trade, and a very small price to pay (for us) for $20 DVD players and cheaper trains. Oh wait, they’re bringing their dangerous materials HERE – that is entirely unacceptable!!! Wahhhhhh!
Yes I’m so glad DonKey & cronies GAVE that contract to China instead of our own workshop thereby closing it. That worked out well didn’t it. Bit like Novopay a bloody disaster and the money going to an Australian firm and on it goes. I’d be bloody shocked if he created ANY JOBS at all. Wake up NZ majority we are being screwed and NOT in a nice way. VOTE THE BASTARDS OUT.
Key, Reidy, and whoever negotiated the contracts should have to clear up the asbestos. Until their bad decisions put them personally outside their comfort zones, they won’t change.
The government did not decide to buy these engines. Kiwirail management did.
Through a Government purchasing spectrum that didn’t take into account wider issues
And that is exactly the problem with government owning businesses. Left wing people see no issue with politicians making commercial decisions. That sort of thinking leads to a situation where non commercial activities are carried out there is no demand for them and taxes being spent to support what should be a commercial and profit making business.
What a load of nonsense Gosman. We aren’t talking command economies making 5 year plans. Your analysis of right and left always relies on the Left being more communist than Marx. It’s boring. We are talking about saving hundreds of jobs in Dunedin and building trains that don’t have fucking asbestos in them. If you are so ideology blinded by the free market to see Government procurement needing to go beyond lowest cost capitalism than you are as irrelevant to the debate as a libertarian fantasising about an Ayn Rand Utopia.
The very fact you think a commercial enterprise is government is disturbing. The State has a majority controlling interest in this commercial organisation but it is NOT part of the government.
“The State has a majority controlling interest in this commercial organisation …”
Yes, at the cost of around $1b of our money! Another Cullen stuff up.
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