Anti-asbestos campaigner Larry Stoffman is travelling around Australia as part of asbestos awareness week thanking unions for their help and encouraging them not to stop fighting the battle against asbestos. He spoke out at the Unions NSW forum in Sydney saying that unless the asbestos industry is shut down worldwide, masses of workers will become victims of asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.
Unions NSW used the forum as a chance to encourage the Australian government to place pressure on Canada to include asbestos in the Rotterdam Convention as they are the only G8 country who has objected to do so. Mr Stoffman is aiming to encourage Australia and Canada to financially assist developing regions to support them becoming asbestos free and help them deal with the health consequences that come from asbestos use.
The shutting down of the asbestos industry worldwide would contribute to creating an asbestos free Australia. This would be an important step given the asbestos cancer mesothelioma is expected to peak within the next decade. Luckily legislation is in place in Australian states, including South Australia and Victoria, to assist those individuals with an asbestos compensation claim, including asbestosis compensation and mesothelioma compensation in Australia.
