Unions shut out of asbestos fight

Construction union Ucatt and Thompsons solicitors reacted with disgust after it emerged that the government intends to exclude unions from work on speeding up compensation payments to mesothelioma victims and their families.

In February then justice secretary Jack Straw pledged to establish a working group composed of "claimant solicitors, trade unions, insurers, the judiciary, and civil servants to examine litigation practices."

But this week in a parliamentary answer, in reply to a question by Stephen Hepburn MP, junior Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogly appeared to state that unions will be excluded from the process.

Mr Djanogly said: "In particular, officials are currently undertaking scoping work to consider options to speed up and improve the claims process in relation to compensation claims for mesothelioma and will involve representatives from claimant solicitors, insurers and the judiciary."

Ucatt general secretary Alan Ritchie said: "To exclude the unions from this process is cynical and deliberate. It is designed to ensure that the process will not be speeded up. Unions are not interested in protecting profits or quibbling over points of law.

"We want to ensure that mesothelioma victims receive compensation as soon as possible, so that in their dying days they know their family will be provided for after they die."

Ian McFall, head of asbestos litigation at Thompsons, commented that "Excluding unions who represent dying workers is to exclude the voice of the victim and their families. It is a mistake that appears to be both vindictive and politically driven.

"A process that is meant to be all about improving the experience of workers exposed to asbestos and now dying is going to be decided without any input from those who really know what they have to live through."

While Mr Hepburn said: " By excluding unions the government is giving more say to the insurance industry, which has tried to undermine compensation payments at every opportunity"

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said claimant solicitor representative groups with a specific interest in mesothelioma "will be invited to partake in the development of proposals as appropriate," adding that "where trade union solicitors have a particular mesothelioma interest they will be invited as part of this contingent."