Unions to launch Make Australia Asbestos Free campaign.
Everyone knows about the dangers of asbestos and how it is gradually it is being eliminated from workplaces and other premises in Australia. Right?
Wrong.
As recent scandals about the importation of building materials and even toys containing asbestos show, the possibility of new asbestos appearing in Australia is ever-present. And at the same time, unions fear, awareness of the dangers of asbestos, particularly among younger workers, may be declining.
So on Friday the 25th of November Australian Unions are launching a social media campaign – Make Australia Asbestos Free - to put the elimination of asbestos firmly back on the national political agenda. Twitter is being used as a campaign tool so that when the issue starts trending other media outlets will pick up on the campaign and start reporting on the issue.
The idea is for those who have friends or family members who have been affected by asbestos to post pictures of themselves with those people to bring the reality of asbestos-related disease home to the wider public.
People are also being encouraged to take photos of workplaces where there is asbestos and nothing is being done about it.
CWU members have a long experience of this hazard, whether it be through the presence of asbestos in exchange buildings or in telecommunications ducts and pits.
Members wanting to participate in this campaign are asked to use the hashtags #AsbestosFree and #ausunions when posting their photos onto Twitter.
