Campaigners stage mass lobby on asbestos payouts

Campaigners demanding payouts for construction workers struck down by asbestos-related illnesses staged a mass lobby of parliament last week in a bid to persuade the government to change its compensation regime.

The lobby was part of an ongoing campaign to persuade the government to overturn a two-year-old ruling by the Law Lords which ended compensation to workers suffering from some work-related asbestos diseases.

Union leaders have condemned the Law Lords' decision to end payouts for workers suffering from pleural plaques. They are now demanding that Justice Minister Jack Straw overturns the decision.

Tony Woodley, Unite joint general secretary, said: "These men and women went to work healthy, but came home carrying a ticking time bomb and a high risk of full-blown lung cancer.

"Compensation, while it will not restore their health, goes some way towards easing the anguish for them and their families. It is scandalous that we must continue to fight for justice when the chief worry for them and their families is whether they are going to live long enough to benefit from it.

"Three unelected Law Lords, who I am willing to bet have never witnessed a member of their family suffering from this evil disease, decided that pleural plaques is no longer a compensable disease. Shamefully, this government is letting this ruling stand so that it can save £35m a year and, in doing so, is letting the greedy insurance industry dodge its duty to these people so it can pocket £1.4bn."

Pleural plaques are believed to affect around 14,000 people a year and are caused when the lungs have been heavily exposed to asbestos.

Up until 2007, when the Law Lords ruled against them, workers suffering from the disease were able to claim compensation.

Latest figures released by the Health and Safety Executive last week revealed that 4,000 workers are dying every year due to cancers caused by asbestos.