The article is here. Note also that the article says the legislation would provide money for an early detection program for cancers. One wonders exactly what is contemplated.
Note further that the article is part of a stream of asbestos information pouting forth every day from various social media. The plaintiff's bar is doing very well at using social media to make people very conscious of asbestos.
Here's another example of global activism regarding asbestos. Here is the article online; the full text is pasted below.
February 1, 2010
Indian workers rebuke Quebec over asbestos
By CBC News
Unionized workers and activists in India capitalized on Quebec's trade mission this week to blast the province for its active role on the global asbestos market.
Unionized workers and activists in India capitalized on Quebec's trade mission this week to blast the province for its active role on the global asbestos market.
'It will be remembered as an act of barbarism in the history of industrial development where asbestos was knowingly allowed to be used, and where workers were knowingly subjected to it.'?Gobal Krishna, activist
While Quebec Premier Jean Charest led his 130-person mission through meetings with local business leaders and entrepreneurs, Indian opponents spoke out against the asbestos industry, blaming it for making workers in the subcontinent ill.
It's hypocritical for Quebec to ban the use of chrysotile asbestos at home, while selling it to countries in the developing world, said activist Gobal Krishna.
"It will be remembered as an act of barbarism in the history of industrial development where asbestos was knowingly allowed to be used, and where workers were knowingly subjected to it," Krishna told reporters at the news conference in Mumbai.
Asbestos has been banned by nearly every developed country and a growing number of developing nations, but countries like India still rely on the flame-resistant mineral for construction projects.
At least 20 per cent of workers in India are exposed to asbestos on a regular basis, and the building material is responsible for making many Indian workers sick, accused Sanjay Singhvi, secretary general of the Trade Union Centre of India, a labour federation.
Asbestos can't be used safely in India, he said.
The United Nations says chrysotile asbestos, widely used in building materials, accounted for about 94 per cent of global asbestos production and is considered a carcinogen by the World Health Organization. At least 90,000 people die each year from asbestos-related diseases such as lung cancer and mesothelioma, the UN said.
Singhvi said he was disappointed Charest refused to meet with his organization during the weeklong trade mission. Charest's office said Quebec promotes the responsible use of asbestos.
Quebec exports to India hit $427M
Charest arrived in Mumbai on Sunday with 130 Quebecers participating in the trade mission.
The premier said the mission aims to promote Quebec expertise in infrastructure, environmental technologies and telecommunications to the Indian market, which counts more than 1.2 billion people.
Thirteen deals were penned between Quebec and Indian companies on Monday, including an agreement with a Quebec City company specializing in cleaning industrial waste water.
Quebec exported $427 million in goods to India in 2008, including airplanes, paper, asbestos and electronics.
Opposition Parti Québécois members accuse Charest of fleeing to foreign lands in order to avoid political pressure at home, including calls for a public inquiry into the province's dysfunctional construction industry.
Quebec operates two asbestos mines.
Here is the online image of Munich Re's recent, comprehensive report on asbestos litigation, Asbestos: Anatomy of a Mass Tort. The 112 page report is authored by Nicholas Roenneberg, and is Order number 302-06142. The report can be downloaded and printed from this page.
The same page, on the right hand side, allows you to order a printed copy at no charge.
The report is quite good. It begins with a review of asbestos litigation in North America. The report goes on to explain and explore various factors relevant to reinsurers such as Munich Re.
Beginning at page 58, the report addresses asbestos claiming in other nations in the context of employers' liability. The report covers the UK, Ireland, Italy, Spain, France, Czech Republic, Japan and Brazil. These country-specific reports are well worth reading to better understand the global asbestos claiming situation.
_____________________________________________________________
I owe a hat tip and thanks to Christian Lahnstein of Munich Re for bringing the report to my attention this past fall, and for provding value contributions to dialog regarding mass tort claiming. Christian is a very thoughtful thinker and speaker on the subject of asbestos claiming and its consequences. Indeed, he is thoughtful enough that at a dinner before an international asbestos conference this past fall in London, a smart plaintiff's lawyer listened to Christian for a while and then commented that he was surprised to learn that Christian works in the insurance industry.
Here is an interesting AmLaw post on the Korean government seeking to deregulate legal services and end restrictions on nonlawyers investing in and providing legal services. The key excerpts say:
"The Korean government is planning a major deregulation of the nation's legal and other professional services markets, the Korea Herald reports.
At a government meeting Tuesday, Finance Minister Yoon Jeung-hyun explained the move as a way to boost employment in the high-value services sector.
"The government will lower entry barriers to the professional service market to spur competition and to boost the size of the market," Yoon said.
A number of measures aimed at reducing regulation have been recommended to the government by the Korean Development Institute, a think tank. Perhaps most controversially, the KDI has proposed that non-lawyers and conglomerates be permitted to own stakes in law firms. The institute has also recommended an end to restrictions on lawyers, patent agents and certified public accountants practicing together."
One factor behind asbestos litigation is the amount of media attention focused on asbestos. Accordingly, it's telling to see the increasing media attention around the globe. A current example arises as the Korean media focuses attention on products with talc that may or may not contain asbestos fibers. A Korea Times article of April 5 reports on 11 baby powers said to be "contaminated," and describes calls for investigations into whether balloons or gum used talc that contained asbestos fibers.
Perspective matters. In the US, we hear a fairly steady stream of criticism of civil and criminal juries. It's interesting, then, that in some Asian nations, they are experimenting with implementing jury trials as perhaps desirable legal system changes. In general, the proponents argue that juries serve as a bulwark against the government and allow expression of the views of the "common man." The critics generally complain that juries are too unpredictable and do not understand complex issues.
For specifics, the NYT has a July 18, 2008 article about recent high-speed jury trials in criminal cases in South Korea. The International Herald Tribune also has published an article about the jury trial experiments in Korea, Japan and elsewhere. Likewise, a recent article on Law.com described US lawyers traveling to Japan to consult with Japanese lawyers in light of Japan's experimentation with jury trials for serious criminal cases. The experiment in Korea with juries for criminal cases also is the subject of Korean law blog commentary.
Enter keywords:
