Occupational cancer: the Cinderella disease

Marie-Anne Mengeot, ETUI-REHS, 52 pages, paperback, 10 euros. Available from http://hesa.etui-rehs.org/uk

There were more than a million deaths from cancer in the European Union in 2006, and a significant percentage of them were caused by workers being exposed to carcinogens in the workplace.

As well as asbestos, there are an endless number of other toxic petrochemical substances or dusts that can prove deadly after years of exposure.

This booklet has been produced by the European Trade Union Institute for Research, Education, Health and Safety (ETUI-REHS) - the research arm of the European TUC - in order to highlight how carcinogens are underestimated and under-reported in Europe, with a special focus on the consequences for women workers.

The introduction states that workers' lack of control over their working conditions is one of the main obstacles in preventing many cancers.

The uses and limitations of European law are discussed, and the booklet goes on to highlight the need for an international union campaign to combat occupational cancers.

It concludes by making a strong case for banning certain toxic substances and substituting safer alternatives which are economically viable as well as far healthier for workers.