Unions call on Canada to stop dumping asbestos in Asia
August 13, 2010
The campaign to ban asbestos use in Asia took a step forward at a Building and Wood Workers’ International regional conference in Jakarta on August 2 to 4, 2010. The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union represented the IMF at the meeting. Read more
Cement firms get rules on use of alternative fuels, materials – bans asbestos wastes
May 5, 2010
With big cement companies in the Philippines starting to use alternative fuels and raw materials, the Environment Department has drawn the guidelines on the use of waste materials as production ingredients. Read more
Labor groups seek ban on asbestos in work places
May 2, 2010
MANILA, Philippines – The Trade Union Congress Party (TUCP), the largest workers’ party in the country, and its sister organization the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) Labor Center, led government, employer and union representatives and other sectors yesterday in calling for the promotion of safety among workers, including the banning of asbestos in work places during the observance of International Commemoration Day (ICD) and World Day for Safety and Health. Read more
Canadian Embassy in Manila declines meeting union leaders on asbestos
April 30, 2010
Manila, Philippines – “The Ambassador has other commitments throughout that day and he will not be able to attend the event or meet with your representatives. He sends his regrets,” was the reply of the Embassy of Canada on the letter of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Associated Labor Unions (ALU) and Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) inviting or requesting for an appointment with the Ambassador to receive the statement pushing for asbestos ban and urging Canada to stop mining and exporting asbestos during the International Commemoration Day (ICD) on 28 April 2010.
“Canada supplied 93% of Philippines asbestos imports in 2008 alone. Asbestos imports are used in manufacturing various materials and products which expose workers, their families and the public,” said TUCP Education Director Rafael Mapalo. “Will Canada take responsibility for asbestos deaths and diseases in the Philippines? We wanted to know,” added Mapalo.
“Canada must stop asbestos exports to the Philippines. It should not leave the health and safety of workers and their families and the public in the hands of employers engaged in asbestos businesses and the government,” said ALU National Vice President Gerard Seno. “Canadian laws on asbestos are stricter and implementation better than the Philippines’,” added Seno.
“April 28 commemorates the dead and injured workers due to unsafe workplaces. Workplaces around the world must protect workers from health and safety hazards, including from asbestos exposure. Canada should have shown its concern for workers who died or were afflicted with asbestos diseases by accepting the trade union statement on this day,” lamented Apolinar Tolentino of the BWI Asia Pacific Regional Office.
Supporters came in droves
Some 500 workers and other people signed the statement calling for Canada to stop mining and exporting asbestos to the Philippines. The statement also calls for the ratification of ILO Convention 162 on Safety in the Use of Asbestos, fast-tracking the National Program for the Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases (NPEAD) and the passage of laws banning asbestos in the Philippines.
The launching of activities five days earlier on 23 April 2010 caught the attention of the public and encouraged more people to sign the statement. The Asbestos Tree – signifying life for the long latency period of asbestos diseases, and death once the disease is diagnosed – at the TUCP main gate along the busy Elliptical Road in Quezon City had to be dressed up every morning to get attention as asbestos messages disappeared every night.
The ICD celebration started with a march of close to 300 people attending a program calling for the ratification of ILO Convention 187 on Promotional Framework on Safety and Health where partners, including the Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment, the Director of the International Labor Organization Subregional Office for South-East Asia and the Pacific, trade union leaders and employers, supported the call to protect workers in their workplaces, including from asbestos.
The day ended with a candle light procession along Elliptical Road and torch lighting under the Asbestos Tree to light the path towards asbestos ban. – DMT
Slowly but surely, national program on asbestos related diseases pushes through
April 16, 2010
Manila, Philippines – The multi-sectoral group tasked to discuss the adoption of a National Program for the Elimination of Asbestos Related Diseases (NPEAD) finally agreed in a meeting today, 16 April 2010, to develop the NPEAD based on the outline of the International Labor Organization (ILO) and World Health Organization (WHO). Read more
Unions’ e-campaign to ban asbestos goes to Facebook
April 14, 2010
Manila, Philippines – The Associated Labor Unions (ALU), Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) and Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) brought their e-campaign to ban asbestos in the Philippines to social networking site Facebook. Read more
Urge the passage of Senate Bill 741 banning asbestos
January 28, 2010
Manila, Philippines (27 January 2010) — With the end of the official session of the 14th Congress on February 5, 2010 fast approaching, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), the Associated Labor Unions (ALU) and the Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) launched an email campaign urging the Senate to pass Senate Bill 741 banning asbestos. Read more
Office of Senator Mar Roxas blocks ban-asbestos support emails
January 13, 2010
Emails to the Office of Senator Mar Roxas endorsing the passage of Senate Bill 741 banning asbestos in the Philippines have been blocked!
The emails sent starting January 13 have been reported bouncing back to their senders.
When contacted, the Office of the Senator did not deny the blocking of the emails.
Supporters of the ban-asbestos bill had sent more than 270 emails before subsequent emails began bouncing back.
House panel approves bill seeking to ban use of asbestos
November 17, 2009
A HOUSE panel yesterday approved a bill that seeks to ban the importation, manufacture, processing and use or distribution in commerce of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. Read more
Chrysotile industry faces ’scientific reality’
November 11, 2009
Insists chrysotile asbestos is safe
Manila, Philippines – The IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) study in March 2009 reconfirming the carcinogenicity of all forms of asbestos – including chrysotile – and confirming that there is sufficient evidence that asbestos causes ovarian cancer provides the ‘new evidence’ and ’scientific reality’ on the issue, replied the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and the Associated Labor Unions (ALU) to the chrysotile industry’s claim that those against chrysotile asbestos must be open to ‘new evidence’ and ’scientific reality’. Read more
