Asbestos ban in schools pushed (Philippines)

[Associated Labor Unions-TUCP]

This is in today's paper.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/article.aspx?publicationsubcategoryid=65&articleid=741732

Asbestos ban in schools pushed By Mayen Jaymalin The Philippine Star Updated October 27, 2011 12:00 AM 0 comment to this post

MANILA, Philippines - Saying teachers and students are prone to cancer and other diseases due to exposure to asbestos in classrooms and laboratories, the Associated Labor Union (ALU) yesterday called on the Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education yesterday to ban the use of asbestos in colleges and universities nationwide. Alan Tanjusay of ALU’s policy advocacy and campaign office cited the need to prohibit the use of wire gauzes containing asbestos in chemistry and biology classes. “Wire gauzes are used to separate the beaker and flask from direct heat of the flame. Repeated exposure to high and direct flames, wire gauzes become fragile and crumbly. When the crumbly gauze is disturbed, first and second-hand exposure from its dust begins. We cannot see the dust because each dust is invisible to the naked eyes. It is five thousand times smaller than a piece of hair in diameter,” he said. Tanjusay said samples of wire gauze used at schools and professional laboratories in the Philippines were found to contain three percent Chrysotile asbestos in a testing and analysis conducted by a private laboratory using polarized light and dispersion staining technique.

 

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FOR MORE INFORMATION & INTERVIEWS, CONTACT:

Alan A. Tanjusay, ALU Policy Advocacy Officer

Mobile Phone: (63) 920.669.9187 / Landline: (63-2) 922.2575 local 122

Office Address: Associated Labor Unions is located at Elliptical Road corner  Maharlika Street, UPVillage Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines                Website: www.alu.org.ph

ABOUT ALU-TUCP-BWI

 

Founded by dock workers in 1954, the Associated Labor Unions (ALU) had since been the country’s pioneer in championing the ideals of free trade unionism. Along with its affiliates, partners here and abroad, and alliance with the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), ALU has been steadfast advocate of the plight of the toiling masses working in various industries and sectors.

 

The ALU-TUCP partners with Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) in working towards asbestos ban and phase out in the Philippines. The partnership works to eliminate asbestos-related diseases found in public and private infrastructures and buildings such as homes, schools, work places, churches, malls, including power plants.

As a pioneering unions in the Philippines, we work toward ensuring the rights, interests and welfare of regular and non-regular workers are promoted and protected i.e. security of tenure, freedom of association and collective bargaining or collective negotiation and providing limits in the duration and renewal of employment contracts of non-regular workers to enable them enjoy the benefits accorded to regular worker.