On 28th of April PGFTU held a very special ceremony on the occasion of the World Day for Safety and Health.
The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is an annual international campaign to promote safe, healthy and decent work. It is held on 28 April and has been observed by the International Labor Organization (ILO) since 2003. It has also long been associated with the world’s trade union movement’s commemoration of the victims of occupational accidents and diseases.
A national occupational safety and health culture is one in which the right to a safe and healthy working environment is respected at all levels, where governments, employers and workers actively participate in securing a safe and healthy working environment through a system of defined rights, responsibilities and duties, and where the highest priority is accorded to the principle of prevention.
The PGFTU with the coordination with Department of Health and Safety has organized this ceremony which was attended by over than 200 persons coming from different regions of Palestine, unionists, workers, workers’ representatives , employers’ representatives …..
And by the representatives of the related concerned parties:
- PGFTU’s General Secretary Brother Shaher Sae’d .
- Head of OSH department /PGFTU Brother Mostapha hanne
- President of chamber of commerce Brother Omar Hashem.
- Architect union’s representative Brother Sami Hejawe .
- Contractors union’s representative Brother Rame Khateeb .
- Stones and quarry union’s representative Brother Hatem Yamak .
- Nablus municipality’s representative Brother Ramez Dalae .
Through their speeches the speakers insisted on:
- Expecting at all levels the right to a safe and healthy working environment;
- Active participation of all stakeholders in securing a safe and healthy working environment through a system of defined rights, responsibilities and duties; and
- Giving the highest priority to the principle of prevention.
The main purpose of the ceremony was to show that OSH is the only sustainable way to overcome the high percentage of Work accidents and death between workers.
Brother Shaher Sae’d the General Secretary of PGFTU insisted in his speech on the importance of the health of the workers. He pointed out that every single day, 11 workers dies in Qatar from an occupational accident Work-related accidents or diseases can definitely be placed in the high-burden category of all global health problems regardless the procedures of health and safety which are confirmed by many international organization.
But in Palestine working in hazardous conditions is a daily, routine task for many workers. During one year the numbers of those who lost their lives in worksites are not clear because not all the accidents are recorded: Over 5350 worker accidents are recorded while 2000 are not. The records talk about 45 workers who are working inside Israel from building sector, 65% from them are from Palestine .
Sae’d focused on the importance of implementing the social security law to stop the violations against the Palestinian workers, and he highlighted the role of the PGFTU’s overall campaign to implement the code of social security with some useful amendments especial in the benefit of work accidents.
He informed the attendance about the intention of the PGFTU to put more efforts in the field of educating the workers about the importance of using procedures of health and safety.
He also demanded the concerned parties especially the chamber of commerce to establish a training center for OSH in the north similar to that found in the south.
In his speech Sae’d, showed his belief that good practices should be shared, promoted and emulated where possible in order to raising awareness and knowledge of occupational hazards and risks and how to prevent and control them is key for this process as well as increase the awareness, secure greater engagement people and support stakeholders.
At the end Shaher sae’d presented solidarity to the families who lost their beloved while they are working and confirmed efforts to give assistance in finding alternatives of living. And he insisted on the importance of decent life and decent work in the free independent State of PALESTINE.
Every year on 28 April, the trade unions stage an event to condemn deaths caused by work. This year, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has chosen to focus on the need to adopt new health and safety laws at EU level. “Workers need better protection. New laws are needed now,” said Esther Lynch, the ETUC Confederal Secretary in charge of occupational health and safety issues.