Pierre Pluta, ANDEVA
Given at the 10th Annual ADAO International Asbestos Awareness Conference on April 6, 2014 in Washington, D.C.
“(1) After meetings in Turin and Brussels, about 20 countries were represented at the international meeting for a world without asbestos, organized in Paris by ANDEVA 12 and 13 October 2012.
During May 2013, we were in Geneva with representatives of several countries to defend the Rotterdam convention and a global ban on asbestos. Russia, who took the relay from Canada deliberately sabotaged the convention.
(2) We need to strengthen international solidarity for victims of asbestos and continue to forge links with the associations of other countries, exchange experiences, carry on common fighting. Against multinational corporations who provoke suffering and death on the planet, we need to continue to build step by step the victim’s multinational, which defends the right to health, the right to life.
(3) The decision of Italian justice, who sentenced Eternit poisoners at the time to 18 years of prison and financial compensation for the consequences of their criminal acts, strengthens our determination to demand a criminal trial of asbestos in France.
I will finish by reading the last part of the joint declaration of the countries representatives, present during the reading of the judgment in June 2013 in Turin, I quote:
We, representatives of victims, present with other international delegations to the reading of the judgment, want to highlight three best teachings of this historic verdict:
(1) Life and human dignity must be preserved on the places of work and life. Nobody has the right to give priority to the benefit on health and human life.
(2) Multinationals are very powerful but their impunity may be defeated when the victims unite and struggle with the support of public opinion and international solidarity.
(2) Asbestos, which continues to be produced and marketed in three quarters of the planet, should be banned immediately in all countries.”
Pierre PLUTA
Pierre Pluta worked for 25 years in shipyards as mechanic. He has been diagnosed with pleural plaques and asbestosis. He retired at the age of 54, benefitting from the French early retirement plan for workers suffering from asbestos-related diseases. He is the founder of the local association Andeva, regional association fighting for the defense of asbestos victims in the North of France. He helped to organize the “walks of the widows of Dunkerque” – silent demonstrations by courageous women who lost their husbands to asbestos diseases and asked for justice. Today Pierre is president of Andeva, the National Association for Asbestos Victims.