Australian Unions Call for Asbestos Probe
Unions in Australian have called on the federal government to take a closer look at the dangers of asbestos and to work to remove it from all homes and workplaces.
According to an article in The Age, Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) president Sharan Burrow said an inquiry needed to look at “compensation, regulation, treatment and cures for those affected by asbestos-related illness.”
“This is an urgent request. You’ve got Australia with the highest rate of mesothelioma deaths anywhere in the world,” Ms. Burrow told the newspaper.
Even though asbestos was banned in Australia in 2004, the number of deaths from asbestos diseases continues to climb, primarily because it takes between 20 and 50 years for such diseases to develop. Experts expect the number of asbestos-related diseases among Australians to peak within the next decade. As a matter of fact, 30,000 Australians are expected to die of malignant mesothelioma and other similar diseases during the first half of the 21st century.
“While there is a ban on [asbestos], clearly it still lives amongst us,” Ms. Burrow said. She believes there needs to be a national plan to remove asbestos from homes and workplaces and has called for consistent regulation on compensation for those suffering from asbestos-related diseases.
According to records, in Australia, asbestos use was rampant and it is believed the toxic mineral was used in about a third of homes built before 1987.
“As these buildings get older, the deterioration will become even more prevalent. That, of course, increases the risk for Australians, whether they are handling asbestos or not,” Burrow stressed.
The campaign by the ACTU was announced to coincide with International Workers’ Memorial Day, a day set aside to remember those who died in work-related accidents or due to work-related illnesses. For the past decade, asbestos exposure has been the primary cause of work-related deaths in Australia.
