Commons asbestos compensation ruling welcomed by union

Posted 18/10/2009

A House of Commons decision to approve a new bill to facilitate compensation claims for victims has been welcomed by a construction sector union.

The Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (Ucatt) has described the parliamentary decision to ratify the bill, which will allow pleural plaque sufferers to make compensation claims, as “excellent news”.

Pleural plaque victims have been prohibited from making claims since 2007 due to a House of Lords ruling.

The union has protested this decision since that time and recently spoke in favour of revoking the law at the Labour Party conference this month.

Ucatt general secretary Alan Ritchie therefore hailed this news as an important step for sufferers of the disease, which can often lead to more serious conditions such as mesothelioma.

He said: “It underlines the strong belief inside and outside Parliament that the ban on pleural plaques victims receiving compensation is unjust and must be overturned.”