Work related disease campaigners fear lack of damages

People campaigning for compensation claims to be paid out to former slate miners who have work-related disease issues such as lung problems are concerned that the new government may not award them damages.

According to the BBC, there is fear among these groups that the previous administration's plans to introduce a compensation fund for ex-employees affected by such health difficulties may not now be followed through by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat alliance.

In his emergency budget speech earlier this year, chancellor George Osborne revealed that the government was to make heavy spending cuts in a bid to reduce the country's estimated budgetary deficit of more than £140 billion following the global economic downturn.

And this may mean the authorities backing away from awarding costs and compensation to these former workers.

Dylan Jones of the Gwynedd Law Society commented to the news source that the fact that health and safety legislation was not widely in place in these workplaces at the time may make it difficult for compensation to be awarded.

Posted by Craig Williams
 

03/08/2010 17:03