Motion: Victims of Asbestos at Work

Victims of Asbestos at Work

Lodged by Brian Fitzpatrick Members' Business Motion 32 supporters

The motion

That the Parliament notes the decision of the House of Lords over-ruling the High Court and Court of Appeal in the test cases of Fairchild and others; welcomes the opportunity to acknowledge this historic victory for victims of asbestos-related diseases, their families and trades unions and recognise the crucial role of trade union legal aid schemes in securing justice; notes that it was known as long ago as 1910 that workers who were exposed to asbestos risked injury and death; further notes that the first asbestos regulations were introduced in 1931, that by the 1940s it was known to major employers that asbestos was linked to lung cancers, that by the 1960s it was known to them that exposure to asbestos caused mesothelioma but that workers on the Clyde and elsewhere continued to be exposed to asbestos negligently and in breach of statutory duties throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, at a terrible cost to them, their families and society; recognises that it was trade unions, including the GMB, UCATT and Amicus, that spoke up for their members and took on powerful and wealthy forces, including insurance companies who, to their eternal shame, adopted tactics that spun out legal claims to which there was no legal answer wilfully and in expectation of the victims dying; notes the work of our trades unions and their allies across the labour movement who campaigned to change the law on damages and who are working now to speed up claims and secure fair compensation; believes that the Scottish Executive and MSPs should ensure that the needs of asbestos victims and their families and carers are addressed across all Executive departments and across the responsibilities of the committees of the Parliament, and urges renewed effort in order to secure speedy resolution and fair compensation for asbestos victims.

Supporters (32)