14 June, 2011Indian Trade Unions call for ban of asbestos in a joint declaration issued during the two day trade union workshop on asbestos and occupational health and safety (OHS) issues on June 8-9, 2011 jointly organized by Building and Woodworkers' International (BWI) and International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) in New Delhi.
INDIA: BWI and IMF jointly organized a two day trade union workshop at New Delhi to bring together national trade union centres and GUFs to discuss the OHS implications of asbestos use in India, build sustainable trade union movement involving civil society organizations to influence the Government of India and proactively engage with international organizations namely, ILO and WHO to progressively phase out the use of asbestos leading to its ultimate ban.
The workshop was attended by representatives from central trade unions, namely All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) and Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and affiliates of IMF and BWI. Paul Bastian, President of the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU), also participated in workshop. Officials from Ministry of Labour, International Labour Organisation, medical and environmental professionals, civil society activists and representative from Asbestos Cement Products Manufacturers' Association (ACPMA) participated in the workshop and informed the participants of the views and position of respective organizations.
Adopting a joint trade union declaration, central trade unions along with IMF and BWI called upon the Government of India to take immediate steps to ban all mining, manufacturing, recycling and use of all forms of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials in India. Unions also called upon the government to establish appropriate diagnostic infrastructure for timely medical treatment and rehabilitation of asbestos victims, ensure proper compensation to the victims of asbestos related diseases, ratify the ILO convention 162 and work towards developing National Plan for the Elimination of Asbestos Related Diseases (NPEAD) with guidance from the ILO and WHO, review its position vis-à-vis the UN's Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade and the listing of Asbestos on the PIC during the forthcoming meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP5), ensure transition of the Asbestos industry workers in alternative industry in a smooth manner and proper implementation of the National Policy on OHS in India.
Paul Bastian, President, Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU), participating in the workshop, shared AMWU's experience of the ban asbestos campaign and its fight with James Hardies to get compensation for asbestos victims. He congratulated Indian trade union movement for providing leadership to ban asbestos campaign in India in spite of a number of challenges they are facing. He wished them all the best for successful implementation of strategies evolved in the workshop.
Thanking South Asia offices of IMF and BWI for taking this initiative, representatives from central trade unions resolved to take forward the message to their respective unions, rank and file and conduct joint trade union programmes for ban of asbestos.