Slide 1 – title slide

PRESENTATION BY

PAUL BASTIAN

NATIONAL SECRETARY

AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WORKERS’ UNION

TO THE

1ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ASBESTOS AWARENESS AND MANAGEMENT

“The importance of building and sustaining strategic global and domestic partnerships”

NOVEMBER 2014



Slide 2 - Asbestos - an Industrial Epidemic

A global problem that requires a global solution


Slide 3 - The Role of Global Unions

1989 Building Workers’ Industrial (BWI) called for a global asbestos ban

Strong presence throughout the Asia Region

May 2005 International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) joined the call for a global ban

Begins supporting affiliates throughout Asia

Supports global campaign – James Hardie

June 2005 ICFTU calls on the UN ILO to ban asbestos


Slide 4 - The Role of Global Unions

The Building Workers’ Industrial (BWI):

• leading other GUFs and working in coalition

• 1989 BWI call for Ban Asbestos

• 2000 BWI launched ban asbestos campaign

BWI with International Ban Asbestos and other international unions -- International Metalworkers’ Federation e.g.

• 2000 Ban Asbestos Conference Brazil

• 2006 Asian Asbestos Conference

• 2007 launch Zero Cancer booklet

• 2008 publication Indian Asbestos Time Bomb

• 2010 South East Asia Region Ban Asbestos Campaign

• 2014 May, Vienna. BWI International Asbestos Conference


Slide 5 - Australia’s Chrysotile Ban

• 1970s campaigns & industrial action for elimination of exposure to asbestos:

§ Waterside Workers;

§ Building and Construction unions;

§ Power Industry unions

§ Rail unions

• 1978 AMWU calls for an asbestos ban

• 1992 Report for Victorian government, calls for ban. Industry claimed voluntary phase out by 1996

• 1990s Unions continue lobbying of governments & industry


Slide 6 - Australia’s Chrysotile Ban - continued

• 1999 Federal government agency report calls for a phase out

• 2000 ACTU Executive called on affiliates to take action in support of a ban

• Maritime Union Australia threatened industrial bans on Canadian asbestos imports forcing governments to act

• 2003 Asbestos banned in Australia


Slide 7 - June 2010

A coalition of forces

- Support groups

- Lawyers

- Public Health National and international Unions


Slide 8 - Unions working beyond our borders

• Vietnam – influencing government & unions doing H&S education

• Supporting the work of Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA) throughout Asia

• Lobbying and protesting against the Canadian government’s continued involvement in the industry

• Working with NZ unions to ensure NZ and Australian government support for listing of chrysotile at Rotterdam convention

• Campaigned against Canadian asbestos being dumped in Sri Lanka following the tsunami

• Australian Asbestos Tour November 2012 with APHEDA including Canadian, Cambodian and India unionists – highlighting the use of asbestos in Asia


Slide 9 - Still many challenges: locally & globally

Locally:

• Prioritised removal program

• Maintaining and ensuring a just compensation system

• Continued research into treatment

Globally:

• Working toward an international bans

• Development of safer, less costly alternatives

• Education and awareness

• Better safety standards

• Compensation and care

• Building coalitions


Slide 10 - Achievements

• James Hardie settlement

• Lifting public education and awareness

• Better health and safety standards

• Compensation regime

• Dust Diseases Board

• Asbestos import/export ban 2003

• The establishment of Asbestos Management Review Committee in 2012

• Asbestos Safety Eradication Agency

• Asbestos Diseases Research Institute established in 2006

• Australian and New Zealand governments vote for Chrysotile to be listed – Rotterdam Convention


Slide 11 - Together We Are Stronger

Without a co-ordinated effort, none of those achievements would have been possible

• Asbestos disease sufferers and their families

• Lawyers fighting for legal justice

• Public health and medical expertise

• Unions acting nationally and globally representing workers and intervening in public policy