Pike River families rally against overhaul of workplace safety laws

Family members of those killed in the Pike River Mine explosion have rallied outside Parliament urging politicians to vote down a bill they warn will risk a workplace disaster.

Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden is proposing a radical shake up of New Zealand's health and safety laws under an amendment bill.

Pike River family members Anna Osborne and Sonya Rockhouse joined the Council of Trade Unions at a rally on Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to head off the changes.

About 100 people gathered on the steps of Parliament, chanting "kill the bill" and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters was handed a petition against the legislation with more than 15,000 signatures.

The bill would reverse many of the changes brought in by the 2015 Health and Safety at Work Act, which was passed in response to the Pike River tragedy.

It would exempt businesses with fewer than 20 workers from legally having to manage non-critical safety risks.

Van Velden said the bill offered common sense changes that increased certainty, eased compliance costs and improved safety.

Osborne, whose husband Milton was killed in the Pike River disaster, called for the bill to be stopped in its tracks.

"This will undoubtedly lead to more injuries and people may take shortcuts where there is no requirements to comply with the laws that larger workplaces must adhere to. We have seen the consequences of ignoring health and safety, look at Pike River", she said.

"Because of Pike we fought hard to toughen up these laws. We devoted our time to try save the lives of workers in New Zealand to make sure Pike never happened again.

"We urge every member of Parliament to listen to evidence, take these warnings seriously and vote this bill down."

Rockhouse, who lost her son Ben in the mine explosion, said she did not want the 29 victims of the disaster to have died in vain.

"It is criminal that we have had to remind people of the dangers of stripping health and safety protections. For example, the New Zealand Minister for Worksafe admitted she hasn't read the Royal Commission report on Pike River yet, yet she feels equipped to suggest these unsafe and absurd amendments to health and safety laws," she said.

"Everyone deserves to go to work and return home safely to their families unharmed."

Peters told the rally he was forced to support the law due to the coalition agreement but he did like it, and promised to fix it after the election.

He said protesters were right to be frustrated.

"If we're given the chance at the 2026 election we're going to make getting rid of this legislation a priority," he said.

"This bill won't last more than four and a months, it'll be dead on arrival."

Van Velden labelled that "politicking" at the 11th hour, saying New Zealand First never raised specific concerns about the bill during a meeting a month ago.

She said the bill took on board elements of the Pike River inquiry that previous governments had not taken up.

"We're asking for industry whether that's union or business to come to the table and actually help set standards for industry so there's guidance on what businesses need to do on the ground and also what workers need to do on the ground to keep each other safe," she said.

Peters said his party had been clear about its specific concerns all along, including during last month's meeting.

Council of Trade Unions president Sandra Grey told the rally more than 60 family members have been lost to workplace deaths in the last year.

She said hundreds of workers had lost their lives to illnesses created by their workplaces.

"This is shameful and this is why you are all here today. It is why we will not stop until there is not one more death that is avoidable, we will not stop until no more deaths happen at work," she said.

The Green and Labour parties opposed the bill.

The bill was expected to pass its second reading on Wednesday before going to the house for a third and final reading.