Unions step up fight for compensation for asbestos-illness sufferers

Published on Tuesday 27 October 2009 21:30

UNIONS are stepping up their campaign to win compensation for victims of an asbestos-related illness, with a fresh appeal to the government to overturn a Law Lords ruling.

A lobby of Parliament will be held by the GMB, Unite and Ucatt unions to press MPs to support moves to overturn a ruling denying pay-outs to sufferers from pleural plaques – a scarring of the lungs that can trigger mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Unions expressed anger that the government has not taken action. Many victims might not live to see justice done, they say.

Tony Woodley, the Unite joint general secretary, said: "These men and women went to work healthy, but came home carrying a ticking time bomb and a high risk of full blown lung cancer.

"Compensation, while it will not restore their health, goes some way towards easing the anguish for them and their families. It is scandalous, then, that we must continue to fight for justice when the chief worry for them and their families is whether they're going to live long enough to benefit from it.

"Three unelected Law Lords, who, I'm willing to bet, have never witnessed a member of their family suffering from this evil disease, decided that pleural plaques is no longer a compensatable disease. Shamefully, this government is letting this ruling stand so that they can save 35 million a year and, in doing so, letting the greedy insurance industry dodge their duty to these people so they can pocket 1.4 billion."

Paul Kenny, GMB general secretary, said: "The government has messed around with its decision for long enough. It is time it recognised that working people, who have been exposed to asbestos and are suffering from pleural plaques, have the right to be treated equitably across the UK.

"It is inexcusable that sick workers are being denied the dignity of proper compensation for being made ill by their employers."