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| Issue No 97 |  |
25 May 2001 |
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NewsAbbott Agrees to Ban Asbestos
The ACTU has achieved an important break-through in the asbestos crisis following the decision of the Commonwealth-State Workplace Relations Ministers' Council last Friday to ban the importation of raw asbestos and products containing the substance. The ban will come into effect by 2003, and follows the ACTU's recent campaign on the 6th International Day of Mourning, which highlighted the Howard Government's failure to address Australia's record of having one of the highest rates of asbestos-related disease. "While Mr Abbott refused to do anything about the 1,500 tonnes of raw (chrysotile) asbestos and one million products containing asbestos being imported, Australia was facing an expected 56,000 people to die from asbestos related disease by 2020," said ACTU Secretary Greg Combet. "I am glad he has heeded our warning but am saddened for the workers who have died from asbestos related diseases through being exposed to the deadly substance at work." At the rally which was held on April 27 Mr Combet outlined a five-point proposal to eradicate and control asbestos: 1. Ban imports and local production of raw asbestos and products that contain asbestos 2. Establish a public registry of asbestos-contaminated building sites 3. Accelerate the clean-up rate of existing asbestos 4. Ensure better care for asbestos victims 5. Place a global ban on asbestos products "Although the first step has been achieved, Mr Abbott still has a long way to go to ensure our community is asbestos-free," he said. The decision now brings Australia in line with Europe's asbestos ban, which came into effect in 1999. All cars made in Europe and imported to Australia cannot contain asbestos in brake or clutch linings. Once they come to Australia, replacement parts can be fitted using products that contain asbestos.
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   Interview: The Big BribeACTU president Sharan Burrow emerges from the Federal Budget lock-up to ask where is the Howard Government�s vision for the future? Compo: Where To Now?As the dust settles in the WorkCover war, we look at what's been achieved and what still needs to be resolved. Unions: The Real Big BrotherHave you ever got the feeling someone is watching you? If you work in one of the 4000 Call Centres in Australia then you�re probably right. International: The Not-So Shakey IslesNZ Council of Trade Union secretary Paul Goulter looks at life for the workers under a Labour Government. Corporate: BHP: The Bit AustralianThe BHP Billiton merger was an act of corporate tyranny. And, as Zoe Reynolds report, humanity does not figure on a corporate balance sheet. History: A Proud Tradition of MediocrityBudgets always generate hype and a media circus, especially in the lead up to elections. This one is no exception and the Coalition consistency in panic and lack of ideas is reassuring in its lack of ideas. Review: Ideologically SoundMark Hebblewhite trawls through the CD rack to dispel the notion that there's no politics left in pop. Satire: HIH Recovers Own LossesThe collapsed insurance company HIH has lodged a claim with another insurer to be reimbursed for its $4 billion loss.
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