22 April, 2014The man who carried IndustriALL's flag to the top of the world, Dorje Khatri, was one of 12 Sherpa guides who died in a Friday morning avalanche on Mt. Everest.
In addition to being one of the world's very elite mountain climbers and guides, he was a union leader for the Sherpa guides, who he had helped organize to achieve decent wages and employment rights, and a passionate advocate for action on the environment, especially climate change.
IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Jyrki Raina mourned the passing of friend and comrade Dorje Khatri,
Our Nepalese brother who took IndustriALL to the top of the world was a strong and courageous trade unionist who will always be remembered both in Nepal and throughout our global family.
Dorje was a Central Committee member of the Union of Trekking Travel Rafting and Airline Workers (UNITRAV), affiliated to the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), a Nepalese IndustriALL affiliate.
Dorje Khatri, who conquered the highest mountain in the world and set an IndustriALL Global Union flag on top, was heartily applauded by the IndustriALL Founding Congress three weeks later in June 2012.
Khatri also marked Everest with flags of GEFONT, the Building Workers’ International (BWI) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
The avalanche hit a group of more than 60 support staff and guides, mostly Sherpas, at 5,900m when they were heading towards Camps I and II carrying necessary equipment and logistics for the Everest climbers at around 6:30am on 18 April.