Unions push for asbestos removal by 2030, government review reports results

Australia’s manufacturing union and the council of trade unions are pressing for the nationwide removal of asbestos by 2030 following the release of a comprehensive federal report on the hazardous substance.

“Australia has the unenviable record of having the highest incidence of asbestos related diseases in the world,” Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) president Paul Bastian wrote on the union’s site.

“That’s why the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, the ACTU [Australian Council of Trade Unions], the Cancer Council Australia, and asbestos support groups are now calling for the removal of all asbestos from public and private buildings by 2030,” Bastian stated.

The dangers of exposure to asbestos have been expounded in recent years, leading up to a complete ban in 2004.

While the list of countries that prohibit asbestos continues to grow, there are several industrialised countries that still allow its use, including nearby China. A recent automotive recall by Chinese manufacturers underlines the divide over safety regulations between the two countries.

“Even though the mining and industrial use of asbestos has all but been banished from Australia – asbestos can potentially appear across almost all of our daily activities,” Minister Bill Shorten said in statement released on 16 August.

“Asbestos remains one of the most serious issues in our workplaces – but it is increasingly clear that it is much more than this,” Minister Shorten said.

Over 600 Australians died from mesothelioma in 2010, and the numbers of asbestos-related deaths in the country aren’t expected to significantly diminish in the near future. People diagnosed with this disease are expected to live a year or less on average.

Some ailments linked to asbestos can emerge up to 50 years after exposure, so it will remain a national health concern for years to come.

The Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) has also taken up the cause against asbestos, calling on the government to “establish a National Asbestos register for all Australians” suffering from conditions resulting from exposure to asbestos, according to the organisation’s website.

The union also requests the formation of a national asbestos taskforce as well as the creation of a “national body with a regulatory mandate to map priority areas for asbestos product removal.”

Minister Shorten credited the efforts of Australian unions in the commissioning of the recently concluded Asbestos Management Review, which was initiated on October 29, 2010.

The full report will be available online in the near future, according to a Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations release.

“This report demonstrates how critical and urgent the issue is,” Minister Shorten said. “I am going to consult with all jurisdictions and all of the groups that have campaigned for action on asbestos to develop a quick response to the review.”

Sources:

1. Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations: “Ministerial Statement: Asbestos Management Review.” August 16, 2012.

2. Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union: “Let’s make Australia asbestos-free.” Paul Bastian.

3. The Australian Workers’ Union: National Asbestos Register

4. Australian Council of Trade Unions Asbestos – Issues page: Asbestos