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To be fair, the workers themselves
had the same access to information as the companies, so must also take
responsibility for their actions in deciding to work in a dangerous industry. In
many respects that decision was similar to the decision that many people still
take on a daily basis today - to smoke a cigarette. The apparent benefit of
taking home a pay check overrode the distant possibility of death for those
workers and their families, just as the immediate pleasure of a cigarette does
for smokers today.
Having said that I believe that the employers
have a duty to ensure that their workers are in as safe an environment as
possible, and that they are aware of the risks, so that if they decide to work
there, they are making an informed decision. Clearly this did not always happen,
and as a result the industry is going through a series of lawsuits, where people
who have become ill are suing for compensation. Many companies around the world
have already gone bankrupt as a result of this, and the process appears to be
continuing. In the US there is legislation proposed to pay compensation from a
central fund, but this proposal seems unlikely to succeed because of the level
of agreement that will be required on how the money in the fund will be
collected.
Both workers and employers in all types of
business would do well to reflect on this sorry saga where no-one with the
possible exception of a few lawyers, will ever feel that their decision to
either work in, or employ people in a dangerous environment, was justified.
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Peace
of Mind
To
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