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29 July, 1999The European Union's action to ban white asbestos will encourage unions in many countries.
BRUSSELS: The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) has warmly welcomed the European Union's decision to ban white asbestos taken this week.
"Trade unions all over the world have been gravely concerned about the very serious dangers of exposure to asbestos and many have concluded that a ban is the only sure way to prevent deaths. The EU's action will encourage unions in many other countries to press for similar measures to phase out the use of white asbestos." said Bill Jordan, ICFTU General Secretary.
According to the UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO), over one million work-related deaths occur annually while hundreds of millions of workers suffer from workplace accidents and occupational exposure to hazardous substances world-wide. Asbestos is one of those substances.
The amendment to an existing EU Directive requires that chrysotile asbestos (white asbestos) be banned in all EU member States by January 1 2005. Nine EU countries - Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Sweden - had already banned white asbestos, and it is now up to the governments of the remaining EU countries to put this directive into effect. The European Trade Union Confederation pressed vigorously for the ban and has welcomed the new law.
Other forms of asbestos were banned by the European Union in 1991. Source: ICFTU OnLine
"Trade unions all over the world have been gravely concerned about the very serious dangers of exposure to asbestos and many have concluded that a ban is the only sure way to prevent deaths. The EU's action will encourage unions in many other countries to press for similar measures to phase out the use of white asbestos." said Bill Jordan, ICFTU General Secretary.
According to the UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO), over one million work-related deaths occur annually while hundreds of millions of workers suffer from workplace accidents and occupational exposure to hazardous substances world-wide. Asbestos is one of those substances.
The amendment to an existing EU Directive requires that chrysotile asbestos (white asbestos) be banned in all EU member States by January 1 2005. Nine EU countries - Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Sweden - had already banned white asbestos, and it is now up to the governments of the remaining EU countries to put this directive into effect. The European Trade Union Confederation pressed vigorously for the ban and has welcomed the new law.
Other forms of asbestos were banned by the European Union in 1991. Source: ICFTU OnLine