On Wednesday, the Catholic Church announced that it is leading a class-action lawsuit against mining companies in South Africa on behalf of coal miners who have suffered from lung disease.

The Southern African Bishops Conference stated that lawyers filed the necessary documents with South Africa's High Court on Tuesday. Archbishop of Cape Town Stephen Brislin explained that often ex-mine workers are no longer part of trade unions and lack the means to seek legal recourse against large companies responsible for their lung diseases. He stressed the Church's responsibility to assist them in accessing the compensation they are legally entitled to.

The legal representation for the miners is being provided by Richard Spoors, a lawyer who has successfully secured compensation in similar cases in the past. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 17 former and current mine workers, targets major mining companies including global giant BHP, its spin-off South32, and South Africa's Seriti, as confirmed by Dasantha Pillay, a lawyer from Spoors' firm.

The lawsuit seeks compensation for all miners who worked for these companies since 1965 and contracted lung diseases, as well as for dependents of workers who died due to coal dust-induced illnesses. South32, which operated in South Africa's coal sector from 2015 to 2021, acknowledged being notified about the class action but refrained from commenting further on the matter. BHP and Seriti did not immediately respond to requests for comments.

The church stated that it took the initiative to facilitate the case after being approached by mine workers seeking assistance. While coal remains a cornerstone of South Africa's economy, employing nearly 100,000 individuals and contributing 80 percent of electricity production, the industry is concentrated in the Mpumalanga region, an area identified by Greenpeace as having some of the most polluted air globally.

The class action claims that despite being aware of the risks to coal miners, the companies failed to provide proper training, equipment, and a safe working environment for their