Articles for Pete Lewis

Mines not liable for TB, silicosis hearing told

Mines cannot be held liable for TB, advocates for the gold mines told the South Gauteng High Court yesterday.

The slow privatisation of workers’ compensation

Little by little, the management of compensation for sick and injured workers is being shifted from the state to the private sector — and in view of the problems in the Workers’ Compensation Fund, this may not be a bad thing, writes Pete Lewis.

Sick miners: time for the mines to share the burden

Between 1,500 and 2,000 miners a year still apply for compensation for silicosis and TB contracted on the gold mines - yet the mining industry is doing very little to share the burden of these deadly diseases, writes Pete Lewis.

The scandal of South Africa’s sick miners

Human rights lawyers have been engaged for ten years in a bid to secure massive damages for former gold miners who suffer from silicosis and TB. As the case heads for the courts, the mining industry is scrambling to offer its own and much less comprehensive solution.

Athlone asbestos victim gets his money

Cassiem Mohammed, who worked for 40 years at the Athlone Power Station, has finally been paid compensation for the lung disease he developed from contact with deadly asbestos fibres at work.