The struggle continues.
On August 10, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) in Brasilia, Brazil will advance legal discussions about the constitutionally of 4 states and 1 municipal laws which ban asbestos. In the same unique judgement/trial it will be decided if the federal law of the controlled use of asbestos is or not constitutional.According to the Associations of Labour Judges and Prosecutors, the Federal law is a threat to the public health and hurts the Brazilian constitution of 1988 which states that “health is a citizens’ rights and a state duty”. Both associations are challenging the federal law of the controlled use of asbestos at the supreme court (STF) urging the 11 justices to declare it unconstitutional. on the other hand, both associations support the ban asbestos state laws.
As a passionate activist for a national and international asbestos ban, Fernanda Giannasi, founder of the Brazilian Association of Exposed to Asbestos (ABREA), reminds us that 107 thousand workers die annually from asbestos diseases and there is no safe level of exposure.