From January 2026, none of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) projects will be permitted to use asbestos-containing materials of any kind. This landmark decision follows a robust four-year campaign, led by trade unions in the region, including the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), with the support of Union Aid Abroad–APHEDA.
Following a historic win in the Indonesian Supreme Court earlier this year by the Indonesian ban asbestos network, which resulted in a court order for all asbestos materials to display health warning labelling, asbestos roof sheet manufacturers in Indonesia are suing all those who brought the case to the Supreme Court for damages.
Unionists and civil society groups across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) came together last week in a powerful movement for democracy, human rights, freedom, justice, and climate action.
The Asbestos. Not Here. Not Anywhere. campaign is a priority campaign of Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA. The goal of the campaign for 2020-2024 is to contribute to banning asbestos in South-East Asia and reduce further ARDs with a primary focus on Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR and Vietnam.
The campaign has made significant progress since the mid-term evaluation was undertaken despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Union representatives from the Building and Wood Workers Trade Union Federation of Cambodia (BWTUC) have appealed to the Ministry of Labour to introduce regulations to restrict and prevent the use of asbestos in construction to protect worker’s health.
Migrant workers are particularly vulnerable to asbestos exposure due to their socio-economic conditions. They often work in high-risk sectors, such as construction and demolition, under unsafe conditions that others might avoid. Known as the “3Ds”—Dirty, Dangerous, and Demanding—these jobs often come with lower pay, longer hours, and complex, risky tasks.