XN000022-1978-06-07 — Page 22

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 1978

PNEUMOCONIOS IS HAS A LONG GESTATION PERIOD AND THERE IS VARIABLE TIMING OF DISCOVERY OF THE DISEASE, WITH THE RESULT THAT WORKERS MAY HAVE CHANGED JOBS AND EVEN INDUSTRIES MANY TIMES BEFORE DIAGNOSIS OF THE CONDITION. IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO ASCERTAIN WHICH EMPLOYER IS LIABLE.

THIS SITUATION HAS LED TO THE DRAWING UP OF A THREE-STAGE COMPENSATION SCHEME.

THE FIRST STAGE COVERS THOSE WORKERS WHO ARE ALREADY KNOWN TO. HAVE CONTRACTED PNEUMOCONIOSIS AND WHO MAY OR MAY NOT STILL BE EMPLOYED IN SPECIFIED INDUSTRIES. IT WILL ALSO COVER WORKERS WHO HAVE LEFT THE INDUSTRY BEFORE THE SCHEME COMES INTO OPERATION BUT WHO ARE DIAGNOSED WITHIN A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS FROM THE START OF THE SCHEME. ALL THESE WORKERS WILL BE COMPENSATED ON AN EX-GRATIA NON-STATUTORY BASIS BY THE GOVERNMENT ON THE BASIS OF AN UPDATED ASSESSMENT OF THE DISABILITY SUSTAINED.

THESE PAYMENTS, AMOUNTING TO ABOUT $25 MILLION, WILL BE MET ENTIRELY BY THE GOVERNMENT WITHOUT REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE EMPLOYERS.

THE SECOND STAGE OF THE SCHEME, TO BE IMPLEMENTED CONCURRENTLY WITH THE FIRST STAGE, WILL COVER WORKERS EMPLOYED IN SPECIFIED INDUSTRIES WHO ARE DIAGNOSED AS SUFFERING FROM PNEUMOCONICS IS IN THE SCHEME'S INITIAL X-RAY EXAMINATIONS. THEY WILL BE PAID COMPENSATION BY THE GOVERNMENT INITIALLY BUT SUCH PAYMENTS, TOGETHER WITH INTEREST, ARE TO BE RECOVERED SUBSEQUENTLY THROUGH A LEVY TO BE IMPOSED ON EMPLOYERS IN THE SPECIFIED INDUSTRIES.

THE INITIAL X-RAY EXAMINATION PERIOD IS EXPECTED TO TAKE AT LEAST EIGHT MONTHS TO COMPLETE, AND ALL WORKERS IN THE SPECIFIED INDUSTRIES WILL BE REQUIRED TO UNDERGO X-RAY,

THE FINAL STAGE OF THE SCHEME WILL COME INTO EFFECT ON COMPLETION OF THE SECOND STAGE. IT WILL COVER ALL WORKERS WHO ARE GIVEN A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH AT THE INITIAL X-RAY AND WHO ARE EMPLOYED IN SPECIFIED INDUSTRIES ON OR AFTER THE DATE THE SCHEME COMES INTO FORCE, OR WHO SUBSEQUENTLY LEAVE THE INDUSTRY AND ARE DIAGNOSED AS PNEUMOCONIOTIC WITHIN A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS.

ANY COMPENSATION DUE IN RESPECT OF SUCH WORKERS WILL BE PAID FROM THE STATUTORY COMPENSATION FUND. THIS FUND WILL BE FINANCED BY PREMIA FROM EMPLOYERS IN THE SPECIFIED INDUSTRIES, WHO WILL ALSO BE REQUIRED TO MEET THE COST OF THE INITIAL PERIODICAL MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS OF WORKERS.

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