I had to pass on the news that I read this morning in the Sherbrooke Record; a newspaper serving the Eastern Townships of Canada.

The article bemoans the loss of work and revenue from the ailing asbestos industry due to the health problems associated with the mineral.

Quebec’s unionized asbestos workers visited their Russian comrades at the International Conference of Trade Unions on Chrysotile in Moscow. During that Conference, they adopted a Chrysotile Charter and set a strategy for 2008-2009 to defend the rights of chrysotile industry workers.

The text of the charter was approved by trade unions who represent the interests of some three million asbestos miners from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Russia Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

So, what do you think, is this a Charter for Mesothelioma or is it a Charter for the Protection of Asbestos Workers?

Sherbrooke Record