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Japan, ex-tunnel workers to settle lung disease lawsuits
The Associated Press - June 18, 2007 - TOKYO: The Japanese government agreed to a negotiated settlement with hundreds of former tunnel workers who contracted lung disease while working on state-ordered projects, news reports said Monday.
Health Ministry and other officials signed documents with the plaintiffs' representatives agreeing to the settlement which would see the former workers withdraw their claim for compensation, Kyodo News agency reported.
In return, the government would ensure strict health and safety measures for tunnel workers, the report said.
The first formal settlement is expected to come Wednesday at a Tokyo court session, with similar actions to follow in the 10 other courts where the suits have been filed, it said.
Health Ministry officials were not immediately available for comment.
Some 970 plaintiffs have been involved in 11 similar suits related to tunnel construction projects from the late 1940s through the 1990s that have been filed around the country, Kyodo said. Four of the suits have already been decided in favor of the plaintiffs, although the government has appealed the rulings.
The plaintiffs suffered from pneumoconiosis, a class of respiratory illnesses including black lung disease and silicosis that are caused by inhaling mineral dust, often in mines.
Under the expected settlement, the government would tighten measures to reduce the risk of workers contracting the disease, including making it mandatory to assess the density of dust at tunnel construction sites and shortening working hours, Kyodo reported.
In return, the plaintiffs would give up the right to claim damages totaling 3.2 billion yen (US$25.9 million; €19.45 million), for their suffering, Kyodo said.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his condolences to several plaintiffs at his official residence Monday morning.
"We will pursue strong preventive measures so that the plaintiffs' efforts will have not been in vain. I have renewed my resolve to ultimately make Japan a country that will not allow this problem to occur," Abe said.
CLOSURE NOTICES HAVE BEEN SLAPPED TO UNITS IN PANCHMAHALS, BALASINORE
For failing to follow norms, 5 quartz crushing units issued closure notices
Express News Service
Vadodara, July 31: STATE Industrial Safety and Health Department cracked down on quartz crushing units in Panchmahals and Kheda districts and closure notices have been issued to the units by Labour Department. These units have been largely responsible for incidences of silicosis cases that have been reported recently.
Industrial Safety and Health Department officials said that units are given notices for not using dust enclosures as a safety precaution for workers health.
Detailing on the recent raid, K K Patel, Joint Secretary, Industrial Safety and Health Department, said that there were three quartz units in Panchmahals and two at Balasinore in Kheda district. He added,”All units are given closure notice on grounds of not taking precautions under section 40(2) of Factory Act by Labour department inspectors.” Under this section, a Labour inspector has a power to take action against those units which does not precautionary measures for workers in quartz crushing unit.
“The labour inspectors found that quartz was crushed by producing excessive dust and no machinery was installed for safety measures at all these five units,”he said adding the units will remain close until they install machinery . Jagdish Patel of People Training and Research Center said,”In the meeting organised by the Labour and Employment Department, issues on occupational health recommended by Human Rights Commission was discussed”.
He added,”It was decided to give notification to crushing units that the Factory Act would be implemented even in the units where there were less than ten labourers are employed.”
List of units given notices
* Panchmahals
Dharti Dhan Mineral
National Mineral
Crystal India
* Balasinor:
Hari Om Mineral
Srinathji Mineral
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