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Asbestos “Time To Get Rid Of It”

Labour Party Conference 8th October 2023

Derek Maylor, Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group (MAVS) reports on one of the most important fringe meetings held at this year's Labour Party Conference in Liverpool with photos from Shelly Asquith (TUC) and John Flanagan (MAVSG):

Asbestos, the Invisible Killer is a carcinogenic material that was used in buildings until the 1990s. Buildings like schools and hospitals and asbestos products remain in most of these buildings. Asbestos fibres are not necessarily visible but when they are breathed in, they can cause mesothelioma or other serious diseases.

Mesothelioma is always fatal and regarded by medics as one of the most severe cancers with a life expectancy from onset of symptoms of only two years.

Steve Boggan opened the meeting stating that the UK has the highest rate of mesothelioma in the world. Angela Eagle MP worked to get the asbestos ban through Parliament in the 90s, but we need to do better.

We need a national digital asbestos register so we can plan the phased removal of asbestos from all non-domestic buildings, starting with the easy achievable such as schools and hospitals.

Danielle Kebede noted that here have been 431 teacher asbestos related deaths since 1980s, but concerned that this is a gross underestimate.

Recent surveys show that 81% of schools contain asbestos, and worryingly we can see them falling to bits around children with RAAC, now requiring surveying and remediation, we don’t even know the extent of that problem.

Imran Hussain said it is estimated that there are (at least) 5000 asbestos related deaths a year, which is shocking on every level. Worryingly there is a continues erosion of worker rights, wilfully being undertaken by the Government, on top of which the enforcement of those rights that remain is also being taken away or minimised by huge cuts, for example, there are 3000 less HSE inspectors than thirteen years ago.

We do not know the full scale of the asbestos problem in the UK, so we need the national survey, and also, the current asbestos exposure levels are far too high in comparison with other nations and urgently needs reassessment.

Wayne Bates opened saying that next year it will be 100 years since the first formal “death from asbestos” certification. Asbestos is not a problem of our past but the problem of our future. The rate of school teachers dying is raising year-on-year, then there are the pupils being affected with growing soft tissue in their lungs, the ancillary workers in schools like cleaners and maintenance workers, the visitors like mums and dads and so on. The top figure is almost unimaginable.

This asbestos must be removed, we cannot wait for it to be damaged then removed when it is too late.

Harminder Bains said asbestos case work is changing, generally they used to be workers from buildings sites or such maintenance work but now dealing with workers from a far wider range of employment. Recent cases for Harminder have included a saleswoman exposed to asbestos at a M&S store; an engineer exposed to asbestos at Heathrow Airport; a nurse exposed to asbestos in hospital; a PE teacher exposed to asbestos in school.

Elaborating on the Asbestos Victims Support Groups’ Forum #CapeMustPay campaign demanding £10m for medical research, discussed the legacy and called for all MPs to sign the Early Day Motion 93 asking for this. Amazingly Altrad, who took over Cape, have been awarded a £30.8 million contract to remove asbestos from Barkley Power Station in Gloucestershire by the Government.

Therefore, they profited by importing asbestos to the into the UK; manufactured asbestos products in factories; constructed buildings and ships using their asbestos products; now they get paid to remove that asbestos at the cost the taxpayer. If anyone wants to look at industrial spying by the asbestos industry there is a Tortoise Media podcast called “Into the Dirt” available for free on Spotify.

Further info:

https://chng.it/S55JzgJL

https://asbestosforum.org.uk/cape-case/

See also:

Merseyside Asbestos Campaigners In Paris Protest Against Altrad

Asbestos Victims Support Groups Across UK Demand Cape Must Pay

Asbestos Victims Meet To Remember And Safeguard Future Generations

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