CTU Launches Campaign for Asbestos Victims
The Council of Trade Unions today launched a campaign for fair compensation for victims of workplace asbestos exposure.
"The campaign marks International Workers' Memorial Day and its first objective is to get the same ACC lump sum compensation for asbestos victims that injured workers get," CTU President Ross Wilson said today.
"The CTU is calling on Government to urgently amend the ACC laws to ensure lump sum compensation for asbestos victims," said Ross Wilson. "If cost is an issue, companies like James Hardies and Fletchers, which created the hazard, should pay a special levy to ACC to fund fair compensation for asbestos disease victims."
"The potentially lethal nature of asbestos fibres has been known for centuries but credible international research has been available since at least the early 1960s. Yet New Zealand workers continued to be exposed to asbestos, right through the 60s, 70s and 80s," Ross Wilson said in an open letter to Prime Minister Helen Clark today.
"Through no fault of their own, hundreds of New Zealand workers have suffered the painful and terminal effects of lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma through their exposure to asbestos related products."
"The research report of the National Occupational Health & Safety Advisory Committee released yesterday highlights the gross inequity that only 2% of the full costs of occupational disease are compensated and that workers themselves bear a disproportionate 46.4% of those costs compared with 5.9% by employers," Ross Wilson said.
Union members will be sending postcards to the Prime Minister in support of the asbestos campaign, and will be organising members of the public to do the same.
"The campaign marks International Workers' Memorial Day and its first objective is to get the same ACC lump sum compensation for asbestos victims that injured workers get," CTU President Ross Wilson said today.
"The CTU is calling on Government to urgently amend the ACC laws to ensure lump sum compensation for asbestos victims," said Ross Wilson. "If cost is an issue, companies like James Hardies and Fletchers, which created the hazard, should pay a special levy to ACC to fund fair compensation for asbestos disease victims."
"The potentially lethal nature of asbestos fibres has been known for centuries but credible international research has been available since at least the early 1960s. Yet New Zealand workers continued to be exposed to asbestos, right through the 60s, 70s and 80s," Ross Wilson said in an open letter to Prime Minister Helen Clark today.
"Through no fault of their own, hundreds of New Zealand workers have suffered the painful and terminal effects of lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma through their exposure to asbestos related products."
"The research report of the National Occupational Health & Safety Advisory Committee released yesterday highlights the gross inequity that only 2% of the full costs of occupational disease are compensated and that workers themselves bear a disproportionate 46.4% of those costs compared with 5.9% by employers," Ross Wilson said.
Union members will be sending postcards to the Prime Minister in support of the asbestos campaign, and will be organising members of the public to do the same.
posted by Chris Placitella | 2:48 PM
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