Category Archives: 2023 Latin America

Latin America: BWI affiliates mobilise for 2023 International Workers Memorial Day

Latin America: BWI affiliates mobilise for 2023 International Workers Memorial Day

BWI affiliates in Brazil, Peru, Panama, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Venezuela, Colombia and El Salvador were mobilised during the month of April to advocate for the workers’ fundamental right to a safe and healthy working environment, culminating in events across Latin America and the Caribbean on 28 April to mark the close of the campaign.

The more than 60 activities in the region have included workplace inspections, occupational safety and health (OSH) training, awareness-raising activities such as picketing and leafleting concerning work-related accidents and diseases, and demonstrations demanding governments and employers take measures to prevent work-related deaths and injuries.

In Brazil, one of the activities organized by FETRACONSPAR – the Federation of Workers in the Construction and Furniture Industries of the State of Paraná – in the framework of 28 April, was an act in memory of the lives lost due to work accidents. At a location part of many commuters’ journey to work, 239 crosses were placed in reference to the workers who died due to work accidents in 2022 in Paraná (Observatory of Health and Safety at Work). The crosses bore helmets of all colours, representing the different positions on a civil construction site, from the bricklayer’s assistant to the chief engineer – a reminder that everyone is exposed to risks. The event was covered by the Brazilian TV channel with the highest audience.

In Panama, the closing ceremony of SUNTRACS’ annual campaign was attended by 250 workers, the Panamanian Minister of Labour, union and company representatives and other authorities. Part of the event was a theatre piece to inform the new generations that today’s guarantees of personal protective equipment (PPE) and occupational health training are the result of a historic trade union struggle. The event was also a tribute to Barbara Mejía, former OSH secretary of SUNTRACS, who was responsible for training a generation of union leaders in the field. The event was broadcast live and closed with a demonstration.

In

Peru, FTCCP – the Peruvian Federation of Civil Construction Workers – organised a conference on 26 April entitled ‘Protection and defence of the right to health in the construction sector’ with authorities and experts, in which they demanded the reduction of the weight of the cement sac in Peru from 42.5 to 25kg.

In Argentina, UOCRA – the Argentinean Construction Workers’ Union – organized activities throughout the week of 24-28 April with digital and face-to-face activism in defence of healthy working environments through the dissemination of flyers and videos on social networks, and the distribution of posters and leaflets in workplaces. Amongst the activities, a highlight is the OSH union training programme for young delegates so that they are skilled to defend the application of the fundamental right to OSH, through the detection of risks at different stages of the work and know how to identify the adjustments that must be carried out to control these risks.

On 27 April, the BWI regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean organised a webinar to launch an OSH Brigade Manual. More than 70 trade union representatives from the region registered for the event. Denilson Pestana, BWI LAC Regional President, opened the webinar with a candlelight tribute in memory of workers who have died due to occupational accidents or diseases, followed by a presentation by Juan José Guilarte – Senior Specialist on Workers’ Activities of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Office for the Southern Cone – on the ILO Conventions on occupational health and safety that have been upgraded to fundamental status; Mauro Posada and Ever Asprilla, OSH secretaries of UOCRA and SUNTRACS, respectively, presented how OSH is being used by their organisations as a strategy for trade union activism; finally, BWI LAC Regional Representative, Nilton Freitas, presented the Manual, a tool available to BWI affiliates for OSH training.

https://www.bwint.org/cms/latin-america-bwi-affiliates-mobilise-for-2023-international-workers-memorial-day-2887

The Americas: la importancia de la incorporación de la Salud y Seguridad como principio y derecho fundamental.

 

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En el marco del 28 de abril, Día mundial de la Salud y Seguridad en el Trabajo, el sindicalismo de las Américas remarca la importancia de la incorporación de la Salud y Seguridad como principio y derecho fundamental.
#diamundialdelaseguridadysaludeneltrabajo #C155 #C161 #C187
✅Pretendemos políticas públicas integrales que aseguren normativas y reglamentaciones con un servicio efectivo de inspecciones y sanciones, con un enfoque formativo y preventivo y que aseguren una responsabilidad claramente diferenciada entre empleadores y trabajadores/as.
👉🏿Debemos identificar todo obstáculo existente en el plano de la legislación o la práctica que dificulte o impida la vigencia efectiva de las normas internacionales para lograr la finalidad de un trabajo decente para todos/as. #OIT ,
📑 Debemos reforzar los protocolos de #SST como mecanismos institucionalizados de la clase trabajadora que pueden permitir ampliar el alcance y la significación de lo que representa trabajar en condiciones de salud y seguridad.

The Americas: ¡Por un entorno en el trabajo seguro y saludable!

 

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En el marco del 28 de abril, Día mundial de la salud y seguridad en el trabajo, el movimiento sindical de las Américas exige tener entornos laborales libres de acoso y violencia
#diamundialdelaseguridadysaludeneltrabajo #C190 #trabajolibredeviolenciayacoso #SST
@kairareece @rafael.freire.9889 @cicero_csa

¡POR UN ENTORNO EN EL TRABAJO SEGURO Y SALUDABLE!

• La pandemia visibilizó la importancia de incluir a los riesgos psicosociales en las políticas nacionales de SST. Factores como la duración extensa de las jornadas, la carga y ritmo excesivo de trabajo, la estructura organizacional deficiente, la ausencia de una cultura preventiva de riesgos, las condiciones salariales insuficientes o la discriminación deben ser tenidos en cuenta en relación con su impacto sobre la salud física y psicológica de los/as trabajadores/as
• Las nuevas formas de organización del trabajo como el realizado mediante plataformas o el teletrabajo representan nuevos desafíos para regular esos factores de riesgos por lo que, para asegurar entornos de trabajo seguros y saludables, el derecho a la desconexión, la adaptación ergonómica y la cultura de prevención deben ser ejes estructurales de defensa del sindicalismo.
• Es esencial incorporar medidas a nivel nacional y de empresa para evitar la violencia y el acoso durante el trabajo, en relación con el trabajo o como resultado del mismo. Es esencial prevenir, proteger y reparar y vislumbrar la problemática como una cuestión colectiva que nos involucra a todos y todas.

Argentina: On 28 April we will commemorate the dead and call for an end to workplace killing – #iwmd23

CTA Capital - Central de Trabajadores de la Argentina - Autónoma
Marcelo Fiscina, Secretary of Occupational Health of CTA-A Capital said: Today  in Argentina we will do this activity to commemorate April 28, 2023.  As Secretary of Occupational Health of Capital CTA-A. So they don’t keep killing us on the job.”

May be an image of 1 person and text that says "28 de abril Día mundial de la Salud y Seguridad Jornada de Reflexión y Propuesta: La Salud y Seguridad como Principio y Derecho Fundamental del Trabajo. Dónde estamos y hacia dónde vamos Organiza: Secretaría Nacional de CyMAT Modalidad virtual presencial DE10A13HS DE MITRE 744 CABA GTA central de trabajadores/as laargentina autónoma ctaa.org.ar ar CTAAutonoma f Autónoma CTAAutonoma"

Brazil: Public statement and worker training on International Workers’ Memorial Day

The SINTRACON General Secretary will issue a public statement defending the implementation of OSH as a fundamental right to their social media network.  As part of SINTRACON’s permanent workers’ training program the topic OSH will be discussed with 300 construction workers.

Guatemala: Womens’ safety issues at the top of the 28 April agenda for SINSCG

To mark 28 April SINCSG Women’s Secretariat will discuss OSH with workers in their training activities. SINCSG will also hold a demonstration at the Ministry of Labour demanding occupational safety policies and programmes, compliance with occupational safety conventions and will call for the resignation of the Minister.

 

Dominican Republic: Workers’ Memorial Day work safety conference

FENTICOMMC will hold a national work safety conference within the framework of FENTICOMMC’s plan of demands. The conference will launch the training and recreation centre for construction workers. The technical institute for trade union training INFOTEPROSIN will, amongst other things, provide training to workers on OSH matters.

 

El Salvador: SOICSCES holds six safety inspections for Workers’ Memorial Day

SOICSCES will conduct six  OSH inspections throughout the week – every morning trade unionists will visiting workplaces  to make health and safety inspections . On the 28th a big event will be held in  memory of those who died or were injured by work.

 

Venezuela: Wood and cemetery workers organise to mark 28 April

SUNTIMAVEN will hold an  awareness meeting  with the Company Placa Centro Sur Madera, Caracas Cemetery.  A meeting to raise awareness of worker safety will also be held with workers at a wood warehouse.

 

Argentina: Young worker engagement, conferences, meetings and safety campaigns for 28 April

BWI affiliate UOCRA has many activities planned for International Workers’ Memorial Day 2023.

UOCRA will run a campaign on OHS compliance in construction sector disseminating flyers and showing videos defending a “healthy working environment” through UOCRA’s social networks, in memory of the workers who have died at work.

On Tuesday 25th April, a trade union training activity on OSH starts, which lasts 4 days, for young delegates of UOCRA, where the aim is to strengthen the application of the new fundamental right of the ILO related to occupational health, through the detection of risks in different stages of the work and the adaptations that must be implemented to control risks; among other topics.

A safety campaign on compliance in construction sector will be held. Posters will be put up at at construction sites, leaflets handed out, and workers will discuss issues related to improving working conditions.

A seminar with participation from a tripartite panel called “construction table” together with the construction employer sector, the Superintendent of Labour Risks, the IERIC (Institute of statistics and registration of the construction industry) and the UOCRA; where UOCRA will present the activities that they develop in the survey of working conditions, reporting, monitoring and training in OSH.

UOCRA  will hold a safety and health conference Alongside CGT’s Secretary for Occupational Health and the Secretary for International Relations, an event with speakers from different sectors will be held at the CGT’s premises to commemorate the IWMD and to continue strengthening trade union actions for the improvement of regulations and joint actions.

Finally a ceremony will be hleld in memory of the workers who died at work  – during the Ordinary National Congress of UOCRA