Fiji: Minister Launches National OHS Plan

Fiji Commerce and Employees Federation IR consultant Noel Tofiga, MP Alvick Maharaj, Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Parveen Bala, Director ILO for the Pacific Island countries Martin Karimli, and FTUC rep Rouhit Karan Singh during the launch at the Sugar Cane Growers Council Building in Lautoka on April 28, 2022. Photo: Waisea Nasokia/Fiji Sun

Fiji’s Ministry of Employment in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services has implemented a five-year Occupational Health Service Strategic Plan.

The partners include employers’ and unions’ representatives, international partners, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and World Health Organisation (WHO).

“My Ministry in collaboration with the tripartite National OHS Advisory Board has already endorsed the process to ratify ILO Convention 161 on Occupational Health Services, ILO Convention 187 on the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health, and ILO Convention 162 on the elimination of asbestos,” said Parveen Kumar Bala, the Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations.

Source: Fiji Sun

Europe: Workers’ Memorial Day – 30,000 more preventable workplace deaths expected by 2030

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Almost 30,000 people may lose their lives at work in the EU over this decade without action to make workplaces safer, trade unions are warning on International Workers’ Memorial Day.

The number of fatal workplace accidents fell slowly over of the last decade, although progress was far from steady with deaths rising again in 2019, according to Eurostat data.

Another 27,041 workplace deaths should be expected between 2020 and 2029 if change continues at the same pace as during the last decade, an analysis by the European Trade Union Institute has found (see Notes below).

Workplace deaths are not expected to fall at all in Spain, are set to get even worse in France and wouldn’t end in Europe for more than 30 years.  They could though be ended by 2030 if the political will existed.

Number of workplace deaths expected this decade and year in which fatal workplace accidents will be eliminated in selected member states if 2010-2019 trends continue:

Poland: 563 deaths – 2027
Portugal: 481 deaths – 2030
Romania 1,451 deaths – 2036
Austria: 694 deaths – 2037
Italy: 3,434 deaths – 2042
Germany: 3,143 deaths – 2044
Czechia: 851 deaths – 2052
France: 7,803 deaths – Never
Spain: 3,191 deaths – Never

EU27: 27,041 – 2055

The findings come as the European Trade Union Confederation launches a manifesto for zero death at work which calls on European leaders to “walk the walk” as well as “talk the talk” on saving the lives of working people.

The manifesto – which has been signed by Ministers, MEPs, trade union leaders and top occupational health and safety experts – called for an increase in workplace health and safety training, inspections and penalties to end workplace fatalities by 2030.

Half a million fewer workplace safety inspections are taking place across Europe now than at the start of the last decade, the ETUC’s analysis of International Labour Organisation data has found.

As well as workplace accidents, the ETUC are also calling on EU leaders to do more to end the scandal of cancer, which still takes the lives of over 100,000 people every year, as well as protecting workers from increasing extreme weather events caused by climate change.

ETUC Deputy General Secretary Claes-Mikael Stahl said:

“Nobody should leave home worried about whether or not they will make it back to see their family after work. But that’s the daily reality for many workers, often because of irresponsible employers cutting corners to increase profits and politicians who attack common sense safety rules and inspections for ideological reasons.

“Thousands of people are still losing their lives every year in brutal – and avoidable – accidents on construction sites, in factories and at other workplaces. Millions of people have also died after being exposed daily to cancer-causing substances at work.

“While workplace deaths might seem like something from another century, these tragedies are set to keep happening in Europe for at least another 30 years. That isn’t inevitable though.

“On International Workers’ Memorial Day, we remember the dead and vow to fight for the living. If politicians are willing to act, we could achieve zero deaths at work by 2030. It’s high time the lives of working people were made a priority.”

Notes

Projection based on the European statistics on accidents at work database (ESAW), linear regression was used to predict the number of fatal accidents at work in the years to come. The number of fatal accidents at work were predicted separately for a selection of Member States, and for EU27 as a whole. For EU27, time predicted yearly fatal accidents with R² = .63, F(1, 7) = 11.7, p = .01.

Source: ETUC

The Americas: 28 de abril, la CSA apoya su incorporación como derecho fundamental del trabajo

La Confederación Sindical de trabajadoras y trabajadores de las Américas (CSA), en el marco del Día Mundial de la Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo (SST), refuerza la importancia de la concientización sobre esta temática, recuerda a los/as trabajadores/as fallecidos/as y enfermas/os producto del trabajo y promueve la iniciativa de incorporar a la SST dentro de los Derechos y Principios Fundamentales de la OIT.

De acuerdo con el informe de la OIT “Fomentar el diálogo social para una cultura de seguridad y salud”, cerca de 2,9 millones de trabajadores y trabajadoras mueren anualmente debido a accidentes y enfermedades en el trabajo y alrededor de 402 millones sufren lesiones no mortales. La crisis sanitaria planteó la urgente necesidad de combatir los principales factores de riesgos que aumentan estas cifras cada año y visibilizó la importancia de contar con políticas nacionales de prevención para luchar contra este problema.

El principal factor de riesgo se encuentra en las largas jornadas laborales, algo que la pandemia ha vuelto a colocar en el centro del debate. Con la restricción a la movilidad y la consecuente implementación abrupta del teletrabajo, la extensión de la jornada se ha instalado de forma silenciosa y sin normas nacionales actualizadas para regular la situación. Esto ha aparejado la agudización de enfermedades profesionales físicas y psicológicas por el estrés y agotamiento, hecho éste facilitado por la utilización de diversas herramientas tecnológicas que terminan causando un monitoreo constante de los trabajadores y las trabajadoras.

Desde el movimiento sindical de la región, volvemos a reiterar la importancia del derecho a la desconexión. El hecho que la fronteras espaciales y temporales se desdibujen con el trabajo a distancia no debe significar una violación a los derechos laborales básicos. Por este motivo, el pago por parte del empleador de los gastos en equipamientos y servicios para trabajar a distancia, el respeto a la privacidad del hogar, el cuidado de la salud físico-emocional de los y las trabajadoras y el derecho a desconectarse, deben seguir estando presentes en la lucha sindical.

Los Convenios Internacionales de la OIT como el 155, 161 y 187 son instrumentos esenciales al momento de regular la SST y debemos continuar fomentando sus ratificaciones. Desde el movimiento sindical de la región, también contamos con dos instrumentos sociopolíticos como son la PLADA (Plataforma de Desarrollo de las Américas) y la ESSLA (Estrategia Sindical en Salud Laboral para las Américas), que debemos reforzar. La salud laboral es un derecho humano fundamental y debemos fomentar sistemas nacionales de protección social universales, públicos y solidarios que incorporen a la SST como pilar.

Para lograr este objetivo, la CSA apoya la iniciativa de la CSI (Confederación Sindical Internacional) de buscar que la SST sea incorporada en la Declaración relativa a los Principios y Derechos Fundamentales en el Trabajo de 1998 que actualmente contempla el derecho a la libertad sindical y negociación colectiva, la eliminación de todas las formas de trabajo forzoso, la abolición efectiva del trabajo infantil y la eliminación de la discriminación en materia de empleo y ocupación. Esto implicará que los Estados miembros deban respetar este derecho, al margen de que hayan ratificado o no los convenios específicos en la materia.

Por estos motivos, y en consonancia con la promoción del tripartismo y el diálogo social que están fomentando desde la OIT para avanzar en este tema, esperamos que, en la próxima Conferencia Internacional del Trabajo, las partes logren la aprobación de la SST como Principio y Derecho Fundamental del Trabajo para dar así un gran paso en esta lucha que afecta las vidas de millones personas.

Source: La Confederación Sindical de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras de las Americas (CSA) 

Ecuador: Women heavy construction equipment workers, affiliated with FEDESOMEC, join the April 28 events

Equador: Women heavy construction equipment workers, affiliated with FEDESOMEC, join the April 28 events. #IWMD22

Panama: SUNTRACS conducts month long meetings in run up to 28 April

Panama: SUNTRACS completed its 1-month campaign on Health and Safety at Work (SST), on April 28, 2022. After a month of meetings with workers and inspections to construction projects, the union organized a Closing Act in the Ramal Station Project, Metro del Tocumen Airport.

 

Kenya: Printworkers campaign across Nairobi to mark 28 April

Kenya: The Printing, paper manufacturer, pulp and packaging workers union (KUPRIPUPA) held a campaign to commemorate #iwmd22 on 28 April at various work places in Nairobi.

Tanzania: TUICO workers demand “life before profit” on 28 April – video

TUICO in Tanzania conducted OHS campaign at Lodhia Steel company limited to commemorate IWMD “Life before profit campaign”

Peru: Plantation workers mark 28 April

Peru: SUTFACAP joins the meetings of April 28, 2022 at the Plantation of Faber-Castell Peru. The union is calling for occupational health and safety to be recognised as an ILO fundamental right at work.

El Salvador: SOICSCES declares occupational health and safety must be recognised as an ILO Fundamental Right at Work

El Salvador: SOICSCES event on April 28, 2022. The union has agreed occupational health and safety must be recognised as an ILO Fundamental Right at Work. #IWMD22

Argentina: On 28 April UOLRA pressed for safety to be recognised as a human right

Argentina: UOLRA joins the April 28th commemorations. The union is pressing for occupational health and safety to be recognised as an ILO Fundamental Right at Work.

Remember the dead, fight like hell for the living