Pressure grows on government to provide justice for asbestos victims

Construction Union UCATT, have welcomed the Government admission that they may yet legislate to provide justice for workers who developed pleural plaques, through exposure to asbestos.

Pleural plaques is scarring to the back of the lungs caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos. Although the scarring and damage to the body is regarded as “symptonless”, people who have pleural plaques are far more likely to develop the fatal lung cancer mesothelioma.

In October last year the Law Lords overturned 30 years of case law, which said that pleural plaque, victims should receive compensation. Since then a campaign led by Labour MPs, and unions has begun to attempt to get the Law Lords decision overturned. The campaign has gained impetus by the decision of the Scottish Executive that the ban on compensation for pleural plaques will be overturned north of the border.

Replying to a Westminster Hall debate called by Labour MP Jim Sheridan (on Wednesday 23 January), Bridget Prentice the Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Department of Justice, admitted that if the Scottish Executive passed legislation, it could force the Government’s hand. She said: “I agree that it would be unacceptable in such a situation for people in one part of the United Kingdom to receive compensation and other in another part not to do so. That would be inequitable.”

Commenting about the debate Alan Ritchie, general secretary of UCATT, said: “The Government should not be led by the nose by the Scottish Executive on this matter. The Law Lords decision was wrong and is a major injustice for thousands of workers. Urgent legislation is essential to compensate workers who through no fault of their own have had their health damaged.”

In a lively well-attended debate MPs expressed their anger at the Law Lords decision and described how asbestos diseases were blighting their communities.

Stephen Hepburn Labour MP for Jarrow and secretary of the UCATT group of Labour MPs, said: “If somebody lives where the Law Lords live in Surrey, Berkshire or wherever, they might never see anyone dying of asbestosis. They might never come across that. However, on Tyneside, where I am from, two people die from the disease each week, which means that people are going to the funerals of workmates every week.

David Anderson MP, exposed the lack of sympathy and understanding of pleural plaques sufferers of many civil servants, he told fellow MPs: “Thompsons [trade union solicitors]was told [by senior civil servants], ‘what are you worried about? It’s no more than freckles.’ Well, the people whose lungs have been scarred think that pleural plaques are slightly more than freckles.”

Pressure on the Government is set to further increase next week when a lobby of Parliament on pleural plaques, organised by the unions will take place on January 29.