Unions in Australia step up campaign against asbestos

Even though asbestos is not mined in Australia any more and its use has been banned since 2003, Australia still has the highest per capita rate of asbestos related disease in the world. The reason is that asbestos was used very extensively in both commercial and residential buildings. A coalition of trade unions and community groups have come together to ask for a national strategy to be developed so that the existing asbestos can be identified and disposed of safely. Campaigning against the use of asbestos is a worldwide issue.

Even though asbestos is not mined in Australia any more and its use has been banned since 2003, Australia still has the highest per capita rate of asbestos related disease in the world. The reason is that asbestos was used very extensively in both commercial and residential buildings. A coalition of trade unions and community groups have come together to ask for a national strategy to be developed so that the existing asbestos can be identified and disposed of safely. Campaigning against the use of asbestos is a worldwide issue.