Barcelona’s social court number 8 issued what is considered a landmark ruling in a case involving the death of a subway worker linked to asbestos exposure. The ruling held that the city’s municipal corporation failed to carry out adequate risk assessments and to implement essential preventive measures for the decedent’s role. This negligence culminated in a severe, intractable form of cancer that claimed the worker’s life in 2008. The verdict recognizes an occupational disease connection and supports the widow in her effort to increase pension benefits by proving exposure to hazardous working conditions. Beyond the individual case, the decision signals the potential for new lawsuits alleging damages and omissions in safety protocols, with the possibility of criminal liability in related matters, echoing the broader dynamics seen within Madrid’s metro system as a precedent.
“This sentence exposes how a significant portion of the workforce faces asbestos exposure,” stated Amada Álvarez, head of the Barcelona metro’s works council. “It marks a historic step,” commented a lawyer from Col·lectiu Ronda, Alex Tisminetzky. The social court No. 8 decision stands as the first in a series of seven pending cases brought by former workers or their relatives under the administration of the same advocacy group. Four of these suits involve relatives of workers who died, and two involve former employees living with serious disabilities. In every instance, the individuals were exposed to asbestos in the course of their duties.
The victim worked between 1989 and 2008 as a technical assistant responsible for electrical installations. His duties required him to traverse tunnels to perform maintenance tasks and repair faults. This is a role where the transit authority has historically minimized the recognition of asbestos exposure, leaving workers without adequate protective measures or medical surveillance to monitor and mitigate the risk.
Precedents in Madrid
A week prior to the Barcelona ruling, Madrid Metro’s leadership, along with major unions representing affected staff and family advocates, reached an agreement to compensate those impacted by asbestos exposure. The arrangement established a compensation fund and allocated 7.4 million euros to redress those harmed, while allowing the responsible parties to avoid future criminal, civil, and related claims arising from the examined events. Negotiations extended beyond two years, and in 2018 the Prosecutor’s Office initiated criminal proceedings against the administration, underscoring the legal weight of occupational exposure cases and the push for accountability across the transit sector.