24 April, 2011
In the 2010 special ICEM newsletter on April 28, the ICEM stressed that the key to getting a global ban on asbestos lies in Canada. If Canadian support for the asbestos industry fails, then a global asbestos ban will succeed. Everyone who cares to examine the evidence by now knows that the link between all forms of asbestos (asbestosis, mesothelioma, other cancers) is irrefutable.
An important step forward was taken by the Confédération des Syndicats Nationaux (CSN) at the union federation’s 11 March congress. The congress decided to withdraw the federation’s traditional support of the Québec asbestos industry. This was truly an historic and courageous stand, in a province where the asbestos industry is so closely tied with labour history.
Claudette Carbonneau, President of the 300,000 member organization, told the congress: “Québec, like many advanced industrial societies, has been shaken by the use of a resource which sows death. If health and safety conditions do not prevent these deadly illnesses in Québec, it is difficult to pretend that there can be safe use of asbestos in developing countries.”
However, for every step forward, there seems to be at least one step backwards. Just this month, the Québec government approved a C$52 million economic aid package to expand the Jeffrey asbestos mine, whose products will be exported principally to India, Indonesia, the Philippines and other Asian countries. Proof, once again, that the industry would not be viable without heavy government subsidies.
Meanwhile, the body which regulates place-names in Québec has given permission for the regional body known as MRC de L’Amiante to delete the Amiante (Asbestos) from its title and rename itself “MRC des Appalaches.” So, evidently there are people even in the region of Québec that mines asbestos who are perhaps disgusted by the shameless hypocrisy of politicians and profiteers and would prefer not to be associated with the export of this deadly fibre.