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Mine safety in Chile

Issue date

H.E. Mr Tomas E Muller Sproat
Embassy of Chile
37-41 Old Queen Street
London
SW1H 9JA

Dear Ambassador

Future safety in Chilean mines

On behalf of the Trades Union Congress, British workers and the 6.2 million members in our affiliated unions I wish to convey our congratulations for the magnificent rescue of the 33 workers who had been trapped in the San Jose mine since 5 August.

At our annual conference in September an emergency motion was carried unanimously which noted that 'Congress congratulates the humanity and solidarity shown by wanting to rescue the miners. They have not spared any efforts to bring them out alive and are doing everything they can to rescue them as quickly as possible, which is not always the case.'

The motion goes on to call on the government of Chile (and our own government) to ratify International Labour Organisation Convention 176 on Safety and Health in Mines. Ratifying this Convention would be a positive step towards putting in place the systems needed to ensure that a similar disaster does not occur again in the Chilean mining industry.

The solidarity and resourcefulness of the miners themselves and the efforts of the Chilean authorities to rescue them will serve as an example to the rest of world of what is possible when people work together in the face of such disasters.

I would ask you to convey both our congratulations on the rescue and views on the necessity to ratify ILO Convention 176 to your government.

Yours sincerely

Brenda Barber

General Secretary

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