Steel Union Chief Cheats Death
Illawarra Mercury
Friday June 2, 2000
National steel union boss Graham Roberts believes he ``won the Lottery" late on Wednesday afternoon - but he's not celebrating.
Instead, he's still trying to come to terms with the loss of his union colleague and close mate Neil Marshall aboard the ill-fated Whyalla Airlines flight.
The twin-engined Piper Chieftain aircraft plunged into South Australia's Spencer Gulf about 7pm, killing all eight people on board.
Up to six times a year, Mr Roberts, national president of the Australian Workers Union, would meet up in Sydney with Mr Marshall, a Metal Workers Union industrial officer, and catch the same flight to Whyalla on union business.
On Wednesday afternoon, work commitments in Wollongong forced Mr Roberts to cancel his booking and change to a later flight.
Being late saved his life.
Yesterday in Adelaide, a shaken and emotional Mr Roberts was trying to make sense of the fickle hand of fate.
``I'm still in a state of shock, the whole thing. The loss of Neil and all those other people. I just can't believe what has happened.
``Neil and I always travelled on that same flight and it was only that some unexpected business cropped up in Wollongong that stopped me from getting away on time," he said.
When it was suggested that he should buy a few Lottery tickets, Mr Roberts replied: ``I won the Lottery last night."
Mr Roberts paid tribute to Mr Marshall, saying he was an extremely hard-working union official who had served steelworkers for two decades.
``Neil was one of the key union officials who helped unite all steelworkers for the common cause.
``I'll miss him and so will steel union members right around Australia," he said.
Metal Workers Union state organiser Wayne Phillips said Mr Marshall was a regular visitor to Wollongong.
``He was a hard negotiator, a good bloke, a man of generous spirit who loved life and what he did.
``If Neil made you a friend, you had a friend for life," Mr Phillips said.
He said he had spoken to Mr Marshall by phone only minutes before he boarded the aircraft in Adelaide.
``We arranged to have dinner in Sydney on Friday night.
``I just can't believe that dinner date will now never be kept," Mr Phillips said.
Emergency services abandoned their search for survivors last night.
Two bodies - a man and a woman - were recovered early yesterday.
An intense air and sea search failed to find any trace of the plane's wreckage apart from a small oil slick that dissipated during the day.
The Whyalla Airlines plane had a history of engine problems.
Earlier this year an engine failed on the plane but the pilot managed to land successfully.
© 2000 Illawarra Mercury
