Canada's Asbestos Scandal
Tuesday 29th June 2010
ON CANADA'S NATIONAL DAY – CANADA'S ONGOING
ASBESTOS SHAME
It is disturbing that Canadian asbestos is still killing
British workers eleven years after asbestos importation was banned
in the UK.
July 1st marks Canada's 143rd birthday and
the celebrations in London will be led by James Wright, High
Commissioner for Canada in the UK.
GMB, along with other trade unions and the International Ban
Asbestos Secretariat is calling on Canada to ban the exportation of
asbestos around the world.
A damaging part of Canada's history has been the horrendous
legacy of mining and exporting the deadly killer, asbestos, for
years.
Today John McClean, GMB National Health & Safety Officer
said "It is disturbing that Canadian asbestos is still
killing British workers eleven years after asbestos importation was
banned in the UK. It is even more worrying that asbestos from
Canada continues to be exported around the developing world.
Unbelievably the federal government of Quebec is offering a loan of
$58 million to the Jeffrey mine so it can be reopened to mine and
export 200,000 tonnes of asbestos, every year, for the next 25
years. GMB joins in the call from Stephen Hughes, a GMB sponsored
MEP, for the European Commission to investigate this loan as we
feel it is in breach of World Trade Organisation
rules."
During the 1960's and 1970's Britain imported over 60% of the
asbestos it used from Canada. Bangladesh, one of the poorest
countries in the world, now gets 98% of its asbestos from
Canada.
The demonstration against Canada's shameful record will take
place outside Canada House, Cockspur Street, off Trafalgar Square
on Thursday 1st July between 10am to 12 noon, where the
main slogan will be:
CANADIAN ASBESTOS – BUY NOW,
DIE LATER
Ends
Contact: John McClean, GMB
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer on 07710 631329.
GMB Press Office: Steve Pryle on 07921 289880 or Rose Conroy
on 07974 251823
Notes to Editors
1 Around 4,000 people in the UK die from asbestos related
diseases each year.
2 60% of those killed were probably exposed to Canadian asbestos
in the last four decades, which equates to 2,400 deaths or
approximately 6 people every day.
3 Stephen Hughes tabled three written questions on
21st June to the European Commission. These were (a) Is
the commission aware that the Canadian and Quebec Governments
intend to provide a $58 million loan guarantee and thereby provide
a subsidy to resume asbestos production on the Jeffrey mine in
Asbestos, Quebec?
(b) Is the Commission further aware that most, if not all, the
asbestos produced will be exported to developing world
countries?
(c) Does the Commission agree that such a loan guarantee is
contrary to WTO rules? Will the Commission lodge a complaint with
the WTO?
4 In 2008 93% of the asbestos used in the Philippines came from
Canada.