Before the age of the internet–well, before age of the television, how companies treated their employees was largely a matter between the employee and the company.
I recently heard a BBC radio program about a young woman named Nellie Kershaw who, in the 1920’s suffered the first documented case of asbestos poisoning while working at Turner Brothers Asbestos in Manchester, UK.
Unable to work, Nellie corresponded with Turner Brothers requesting sickness benefits, she asked:
“What are you going to do about my case? I have been home 9 weeks now and have not received a penny — I think it’s time that there was something from you as the National Health refuses to pay me anything. I am needing nourishment and the money, I should have had 9 weeks wages now through no fault of my own.”
Nellie was flat-out refused any form of compensation because asbestos poisoning was not a recognized occupational disease at that time. Nellie died in her early 30’s and was buried in an unmarked grave because when Nellie’s husband asked Turner Brothers for help in paying for funeral arrangements, they again refused to provide any form of compensation. Continue »










