Two thousand people attended the funeral of anti-asbestos campaigner Bernie Banton who died last week after being diagnosed with mesothelioma.
Bernie, a former member of the AMWU and a crucial player in the fight against James Hardie, was given a state funeral by the New South Wales government in recognition of his role as an advocate for asbestos victims.
AMWU NSW Secretary Paul Bastian worked with Mr Banton on the campaign against the Hardie’s company restructure which was designed to avoid payment of compensation to victims of asbestos disease.
Mr Bastian said while Bernie became the public face of the campaign against James Hardie, he was also very active in the Your Rights at Work campaign.
“He recognised that what Hardie had done to its own workers was part of the wider campaign for workers’ rights being waged by the trade union movement following the introduction of WorkChoices.
At his funeral it was revealed that Mr Banton had asked the Prime Minster, Kevin Rudd and former ACTU Secretary and newly elected MP Greg Combet to pay a public tribute to the trade union movement on his behalf.
Bernie Banton knew that without unions, there would have been no effective campaign against James Hardie, Mr Rudd said.
Mr Banton was employed at James Hardie in the 1960s and 1970s along with two of his brothers, who have also passed away from mesothelioma.
Despite being in hospital since August, Mr Banton found the energy and the time to campaign for mesothelioma sufferers’ right to access the drug Alimta.
“He left his hospital bed to protest outside the former Health Minister Tony Abbott’s office about getting Alimta on the PBS, for which he copped abuse from the then Minister.”
He also campaigned for the introduction of asbestos safety certificates, the reduction of future exposure to asbestos and for funding of the Asbestos Research Institute at Concord which was officially opened after his death and named after him.
Mr Bastian said his fight for justice may be over, but his name will forever be associated with working towards a cure for asbestos related diseases.
His sister Grace said at the funeral that Mr Banton truly believed the saying: ‘When good men do nothing, evil triumphs.’
Mr Bastian said Mr Banton lived the motto because he gave his all fighting against injustice.