GMB welcomes Scottish Pleural Plaques judgement recognising pain and suffering

08.01.10

GMB Scotland who represents thousands of employees within the Shipbuilding & Engineering Industries in Scotland welcomed the decision by Lord Elmslie’s after 22 days of deliberation that Pleural Plaque was one of the associated diseases caused by asbestos and that companies are liable to compensate the thousands upon thousand of individuals who have been exposed to this terrible disease.

Jim Moohan, Senior Organiser for GMB Scotland and Chair of the Confederation of Shipbuilding & Engineering Unions said: “There can never be any justice for the tens of thousands of men and women who have tragically died after exposure to asbestos in one way or another either through occupational or non occupational exposure.”

This decision however gives some small comfort for those individuals affected to submit a claim for rightly deserved compensation.

Jim Moohan also stated: “It has been totally and morally unjust that this issue has been dragged through the Courts when the human life is in jeopardy because of an Industrial Disease.”

We now hope that this brings an end to the Insurers of the companies putting forward completely inhumane challenges of the right of individuals who presently and for a number of years forward will be affected by this tragic stain in the history of the Industrial Sector.

This Judgement will only prevail in Scotland, but will hopefully assist a superior challenge in other parts of the UK.