Kazakhstan Hosted International Trade Union Conference on Chrysotile Asbestos

- The International Trade Union Conference on Chrysotile Asbestos and Safety held in Kazakhstan. It was organised by the Industry Council of the Trade Union of Workers of the Construction Sector and Housing and Utilities Sector of Kazakhstan together with International Trade Union Alliance for Chrysotile. The conference held to discuss the implementation of new ways of protecting occupational health and creating more efficient safety systems in all areas of industry, including the chrysotile industry.      (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/678828/International_Alliance_of_Trade_Union_Organizations_Chrysotile_Logo.jpg ) "Protecting the occupational health of workers in the chrysotile industry is a key objective of the trade union movement. By implementing the controlled use of chrysotile asbestos, new technologies and organisational solutions, we can dramatically improve the living standards of workers and, as a result, the efficiency of the industry as a whole. We strongly disagree with the opinion that chrysotile asbestos can pose a threat to health and should be banned. With our work, our decades of experience, we believe that chrysotile asbestos can and should be widely used in many industries. By participating in such events, we seek to convince our partners and colleagues that controlled use of this mineral is absolutely safe," said Andrey Kholzakov, the Chairman of the International Trade Union Alliance for Chrysotile. The conference was attended by representatives of the chrysotile industry in Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, and other countries. Speakers presented reports on the activities of their companies, new methods of organising production, the introduction of new technologies, and the principles of controlled use of chrysotile. The conference also included presentations by scientists, trade union leaders, and health care professionals who discussed existing and future methods to protect the occupational health of workers in the chrysotile industry.