A MINERS' union claims it could still take at least eight years before all ex-miners and their families are paid compensation for chest diseases.

Union Nacods are making that estimate today after it was revealed that well over half of all claims in Wales are still outstanding.

Secretary Bleddyn Hancock said the latest figures released by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) show that of the 35,322 claims from living miners in Wales, only 15,975 have been settled. "That leaves almost 20,000 who are still waiting," he said. We are not even half way there yet."

He added it was inevitable that, although the government has prioritised claims from the oldest and sickest miners, there would still be some sick men waiting for their money.

The figures show 13,618 widows have claimed in Wales, but only 5,919 have been paid.

Almost 7,700 are still waiting.Overall, there were 91,945 claims in Wales, of which 28,810 have been settled and 63,135 are outstanding.

It is six years since Nacods' historic victory in the High Court, winning the right for miners to claim compensation from the government for the crippling chest diseases.

And it is almost five years since the Argus launched our high-profile Justice for Miners campaign, in a bid to speed up the system of payments.

Penmaen councillor Allan Pritchard, who spent 35 years in the coal industry, estimates it could take even longer to complete the payouts.

"I have calculated it will take around nine-and-a-half years to clear the backlog of claims because most of the easy cases have been paid out."

The Oakdale man, who sits on Caerphilly council, added: "Some people could be waiting in excess of ten years and I don't think they will live to see it, which is really sad and totally immoral."