Asbestos charity's tribute to workers as it marks 40 years

None of those original members of Action on Asbestos are here now, but their legacy lives on.

Campaigners in 1992 (Image: Newsquest)

At a celebration lunch to mark the 40th anniversary of the Glasgow charity, manager Phyllis Craig said: “The impact of the contribution of the men in the early days cannot be underestimated.

“Having no resources other than themselves, they used their determination to raise awareness of the dangers of being exposed to asbestos.

“Today, Action on Asbestos has built on the work of this small group of men in ways that would have been unimaginable in the early days.”

Phyllis Craig (Image: Gordon Terris/Newsquest)

In 1982, there was no widespread acknowledgement of the dangers of asbestos exposure and there was nowhere for people who had been diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition, such as mesothelioma (a tumour in the lining of the lung or abdomen) to go to find out about their rights.

Clydeside Action on Asbestos, as it was initially named, was originally based in premises provided by Glasgow City Council in the Briggait.

It started as a drop-in project for people who wanted to find out about pursuing compensation, or to get advice about benefits.

Campaigners in 1992 (Image: Newsquest)

It was also a place to meet former colleagues and friends to share experiences, ideas and stories. 

Ryan Mutter is a Glasgow artist, renowned for his depiction of shipbuilding and industry. He is working with Action on Asbestos and the people they support to bring some of those stories to life.

“I hope to bring alive a sense of the people behind my paintings,” he says. “Sadly, the men that started the charity are no longer here to share their stories, but it is important to reflect on the legacy they left.

“It is vital that we do not allow our industrial heritage to be forgotten. We must pay homage to the workers who strove every day, in the most difficult conditions, to build ships that would travel the world.

“Their work was often backbreaking and dangerous, but it put Glasgow at the forefront of shipbuilding, and it is important for me to reflect all of this in my paintings.”

By 1996, the charity had moved to their current premises on High Street and were able to fund two full-time members of staff. Both continue to work with charity.

Phyllis says: “When I started at the charity, two of the original founders, Harry McCluskey and Tommy Nelson, were still serving as volunteers and as committee members. 

Incredibly, at this point the use of white asbestos had still not been banned in the UK – that happened in 1999.”

Over the decades working at the charity, Phyllis has heard “unbelievable accounts” from former workers about the misinformation they were given by their bosses.  

“A common one was that white asbestos was the safe asbestos, and that you would be fine working with this,” she says, sadly. “Another was that if you drink a pint milk before your shift this would protect your lungs.

“The bosses were counting on workers’ ignorance.”

Former Fairfield’s shipyard worker Derek Baillie was diagnosed with pleural plaques, thickened areas of tissue in the lining of the lungs caused by exposure to asbestos fibres, in 2019. 

“We ate our sandwiches sitting on asbestos lagged pipes, and we took our asbestos overalls home to wash,” he says, simply. “What chance did we have?”

By the late 90s, the charity had developed strong relationships with the medical and legal professions.

It now funds research and a network of pleural nurse specialists and Mesothelioma UK clinical nurses.

A play, Fibres, about the deadly risks to Glasgow women whose husbands were exposed to asbestos while working on the shipyards, was written by Frances Poet and starred Maureen Carr and Jonathan Watson.

Jonathan is now the charity’s ambassador, as it continues to campaign for justice and provide practical and emotional support to those affected by asbestos-related conditions.