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12 July, 2000The ICFTU says it will "turn up the heat" to get a worldwide ban on the use of asbestos.
GLOBAL: Following the recent news that the World Trade Organisation decided to uphold France's ban on the use of asbestos, and thus rejecting the Canadian government's appeal that this ban was invalid under free trade rules, the international trade union movement will launch a global ban on the use and sale of asbestos.
The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions reports that it will hold a joint technical meeting this summer with the International Labour Organisation and the World Health Organisation and a high-level meeting between trade unions and top officials of the ILO and WHO this fall.
According to the ICFTU and the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD, the WTO ruling "paves the way for more countries to support a global ban of the product." The European Union, France, Norway, Sweden and the USA have official bans on certain uses of asbestos, and Brazil also intends to follow suit. Later this year, a trade union working party will discuss a transition jobs programme for workers in countries where asbestos is banned.
Worldwide, over one million work-related deaths occur annually and hundreds of millions of workers suffer from workplace accidents and occupational exposure to hazardous substances. Asbestos is one of these substances.
The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions reports that it will hold a joint technical meeting this summer with the International Labour Organisation and the World Health Organisation and a high-level meeting between trade unions and top officials of the ILO and WHO this fall.
According to the ICFTU and the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD, the WTO ruling "paves the way for more countries to support a global ban of the product." The European Union, France, Norway, Sweden and the USA have official bans on certain uses of asbestos, and Brazil also intends to follow suit. Later this year, a trade union working party will discuss a transition jobs programme for workers in countries where asbestos is banned.
Worldwide, over one million work-related deaths occur annually and hundreds of millions of workers suffer from workplace accidents and occupational exposure to hazardous substances. Asbestos is one of these substances.