Black Bans

City councils are joining unions nationwide in banning James Hardie building products. Six Sydney councils, the NSW State Government have all said they will ban any use of Hardie building materials in any future building contracts. Construction unions announced in July they would refuse to handle any Hardie products.

Sydney City, Parramatta and Leichhardt have signed up to a union campaign to boycott, with Bankstown, the Blue Mountains and Waverley also putting bans on their agenda.

Meanwhile the Australian Council of Trade Unions announced it would liaise with international unions in the US and the Netherlands, where the company is now based.

ACTU secretary Greg Combet has attacked the Howard Government for remaining silent on the issue. The ACTU has called on the Government to change the corporations law and ensure future victims of Hardies asbestos receive full compensation.

Ivan Simik, a lawyer who has studied James Hardie's moved overseas, said federal legislation could be introduced so that not just the local subsidiary was liable, but the head company as well.

Labor lead Mark Latham said a Labor Government would implement all the recommendations to come out of the inquiry and has donated all Hardie political donations to victims of asbestos disease.

The company has since backed down under pressure and is now offering to compensate all asbestos victims. But there are still conditions and the unions are wary.

The final report of the inquiry will handed down on September 21.