Councils can decide on Suva money for asbestos compensation fund
Published: Friday, Sep 13th 2024, 11:30
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The Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund (Suva) should be able to financially support the compensation fund for asbestos victims. Parliament can decide on the necessary amendment to the Accident Insurance Act. The Federal Council has adopted the dispatch.
It concerns compensation to asbestos victims who are not covered by insurance, as the Federal Council wrote on Friday. Asbestos may no longer be used in Switzerland since 1989. However, it takes a very long time for the illnesses caused by working with asbestos to become visible.
As a result, around 120 people are still suffering from malignant mesothelioma every year because they have inhaled a carcinogenic amount of asbestos fibers, as the Federal Council writes. Twenty to thirty of them are not entitled to benefits from compulsory accident insurance because they were not exposed to the dangerous asbestos at work.
They only receive money from health insurance and disability insurance, which, according to the Federal Council, cover significantly lower costs. For this reason, the Compensation Fund for Asbestos Victims (EFA Foundation) contributes to the compensation of these sufferers.
Suva should be able to make contributions to secure the foundation's finances. However, it may only use additional income from insurance against occupational accidents and illnesses to ensure that premiums remain unaffected.
The Suva Council has to decide whether and how much money Suva will transfer to the foundation. From today's perspective, the continued operation of the foundation will require additional financial resources of CHF 25 to 50 million by 2030, as stated in the dispatch.
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