COMPENSATION FOR FORMER EMPLOYEES OF CAPE PLC

Early day motion 237, tabled 15 October 2001 by Kevin McNamara (Labour). Signed by 53 members.

That this House condemns the refusal of Cape plc, a UK based multinational company to offer meaningful settlement to the South African asbestos victims currently suing for compensation in the English High Court; further calls on Cape's shareholders, Rutland Trust, Montpellier Group, Fidelity Investment International and M & G Investment Management to use their influence to encourage Cape to act responsibly and ethically towards the victims; and notes that from 1893 to 1979 Cape exploited thousands of black workers at its asbestos mines in South Africa, that Cape extensively used child labour, that due to the atrocious conditions thousands of South Africans developed fatal or debilitating asbestos-related diseases; that approximately 300 of the claimants have died since proceedings were commenced; that despite setting the compensation claims of hundreds of its former British employees and continuing to make future provision for the compensation of British workers, Cape continues to prolong the litigation brought by the South African claimants; that Cape has set aside ú8.3 million to pay its lawyers to fight the case but nothing for compensation of South African victims; and that Cape plc will go into liquidation if it loses the trial in April 2002, resulting in little, if any, compensation to its South African victims and severe job losses among its current United Kingdom employees.

Signatures by party: Labour 45, Liberal Democrat 5, Labour/Co-operative 2, UUP 1.