Tag Archives: #iwmd20

2020, 2020 Global, Events listing, graphics, News, Resources

Global: BWI Action Alert – International Workers Memorial Day ‘Protect Workers! Stop COVID-19’

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives and that of the workers in our sectors, with new risks and fears not only for health and safety but for our overall wellbeing and that of our families and communities. Given that the pandemic is affecting all workers worldwide, including building and construction workers and wood and forestry workers, our work as a Global Union to be united has never been as relevant as it is today. International Workers Memorial Day (IWMD) is on Tuesday 28th of April 2020 and the BWI will campaign theme is year is “Protect Workers! Stop COVID-19” We encourage all affiliates to incorporate our theme in your respective campaigns so that your members can be part of the global campaign.

There are other serious health and safety issues continue to be important and should not be put aside this IWMD. We know that more than 100,000 construction workers die each year in preventable “accidents” on site. Forestry workers are also confronted with dangerous conditions that are notorious in the sector. Health and safety are undermined by the reliance of the forestry sector on informal and subcontracting work to boost their profits. The cement industry is also highly hazardous and accounts for hundreds of deaths in worksite accidents, and thousands of workers in the sector contract occupational diseases each year. The heavy use of outsourcing is also largely responsible for the lack of coherent management of hazards at work.

Precarious work in the sectors organised by the BWI affiliates is being paid for by workers with their health and their lives. Thus, the BWI supports IWMD campaign actions taken by affiliates on the need to prevent the loss of lives in these sectors. For example, affiliates active on our Lafarge Holcim campaign are likely to protest together on worker deaths at the company and outsourcing which is a contributing factor. Also, the BWI Youth Committee is organising its IWMD campaign under the sub theme “Life before Profit”.

The BWI also supports continued campaign actions on our longstanding Ban Asbestos campaign; meanwhile, two million tons of chrysotile asbestos is being put into the built environment every year – guaranteeing a deadly legacy for building workers and the public.

We encourage all IWMD campaign actions by affiliates to be shared with the BWI. Please send photos, statements/messages and videos to info@bwint.org

The BWI has put together seven-point 28 April 2020 action list  that affiliates can consider which we will be able to incorporate under our global campaign theme. We suggest that campaign actions are carried out between 20 to 28 April 2020.

BWI has developed posters that can be printed and shared online in various languages

2020, 2020 UK, Events listing, graphics, News, Resources

United Kingdom: 28 April social media campaigning graphics | Hazards Campaign

As a part of their International Workers’ Memorial Day 2020 call to action the Hazards Campaign has produced a series of social media graphics (below) for you to share in your networks. The Campaign wants trade unions and activists  to flood Twitter, Facebook  and  other social networks with these images and,  include the hashtags  #iwmd20, #covid19 and tagging @hazardscampaign

Sample graphics scaled for Facebook

 

Sample graphics scaled for Twitter

2020, 2020 Spain, Events listing, News, Resources

Campaña 28 Abril USO España STOP a la pandemia en el trabajo

Un año más, desde USO conmemoramos el Día Internacional de la Seguridad y la Salud en el Trabajo, denunciando que, en 2019, tenemos que lamentar y denunciar que  621 trabajadores y trabajadoras perdieron la vida en su jornada laboral o en el trayecto de ida o vuelta del trabajo en nuestro país.

Debido a la crisis sanitaria que estamos sufriendo, en la que los trabajadores y trabajadoras están en primera línea expuestos al contagio del COVID-19 en condiciones precarias y de carencia de equipos de protección, desde USO nos unimos al llamamiento de la Confederación Sindical Internacional (CSI) y dedicamos nuestra campaña del Día Internacional de la Seguridad y la Salud en el Trabajo, con el lema “STOP a la pandemia en el trabajo”  a los que están exponiéndose en sus puestos de trabajo haciendo que todo funcione y para recordar a todas las personas que han enfermado, lesionado o muerto realizando su trabajo.

Adjunto el cartel, manifiesto (páginas 1 y 2) y guía de PRL ante el COVID-19.

Recibe un cordial saludo

 

2020, 2020 UK, Events listing, News

UK: Coronavirus minute’s silence to honour workers

A minute’s silence will be held across the United Kingdom on 28 April to remember all the health, care and other key workers who have lost their lives to coronavirus.

The campaign, launched by the health unions UNISON, the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives – who between them represent more than a million NHS and public service workers, including porters, refuse collectors and care staff – are urging politicians, employers, people at work and those on lockdown at home to join the tribute at 11am.

The minute’s silence – held on International Workers’ Memorial Day #iwmd20 – will allow everyone to pay their respects and give thanks for the lives of those whose work involved caring, saving lives, keeping key services running and the rest of the country safe, say the unions. The tribute is also a show of support for the families of those who have died.

The three unions are hoping the government and other organisations will get on board and join the campaign for there to be a minute’s silence on the day, which every year commemorates workers who have died around the globe.

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “This is the ultimate tribute to remember workers who’ve lost their lives and put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe and vital services running. Every year the sacrifice of workers around the world is recognised, but this year has a special significance because of the pandemic.

“Thousands of key staff are on the frontline while the rest of us are in lockdown. That’s why we’ve issued this call for the whole country to take part and remember the sacrifices they’ve made. The best tribute we can all pay them is to stay inside to protect the NHS.

“The minute’s silence is a thank you to all the workers including nurses, midwives, cleaners and care staff who’ve died from this devastating virus.”

Royal College of Nursing general secretary and chief executive Donna Kinnair said: “We’ve become used to hearing a great roar on a Thursday night for key workers, but this respectful silence will be a poignant reminder of the risks they run to keep us safe. I hope the public gets behind this with the same affection they show when applauding our people.

“The silence is a simple show of respect for those who have paid the very highest price, but their loved ones must know the levels of gratitude we feel as a nation and take some comfort from that.”

Royal College of Midwives chief executive and general secretary Gill Walton said: “We had expected 2020 to be a celebration of the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife but, although we actively applaud their service, this is not what we had imagined. Instead, across the country, midwives and maternity support workers are seeing the impact of coronavirus not only on the women in their care, but on their colleagues as well.

“We are proud to join UNISON and the RCN in this campaign and to recognise and remember those who we have lost.”

The minute’s silence will be held at 11am on Tuesday 28 April. The campaign hashtag for the minute’s silence is #neverforgotten.

UNISON news release.

2020, 2020 UK, Events listing, News, Resources

UK: Organising through the coronavirus crisis – TUC

Here are the UK national union confederation TUC’s top organising tips. The TUC says “whether it’s saving workers’ jobs or protecting their health and safety, it’s essential we organise. Social distancing measures just mean we need to do it a little differently.”

Read the full article here.

 

2020, 2020 Europe, Events listing, News, Resources

Europe: COVID 19 i Zaštita sigurnosti i zdravlja na radu Izjava PERV Mreže za zaštitu zdravlja i sigurnosti na radu

COVID-19 prijeti zdravlju i životima radnika globalno. COVID-19 će takođe rezultirati ogromnim ekonomskim i posljedicama po zapošljavanje. Milioni preduzeća širom svijeta se suočavaju sa opasnošću da se ugase, što će imati teške posljedice po zaposlenost. To će devesti do liberalizacije zakona o radu i radničkim pravima.

Već i prije ove krize, PERV Mreža za zaštitu sigurnsoti zdravlja na radu pomenula je u svojim Memorandumima (Tirana i Baku, 2016.) da će se pogoršanje situacije sa zdravljem i sigurnosti radnika dešavati paraleleno sa promjenama oblika zapošljavanja i porastom broja nesigurnih radnih mejsta, dok se u isto vrijeme usvajaju izmjene i dopune zakona o radu u velikom broju zemalja, čime se smanjuju radnička prava; da je veliki broj radnika žrtva nezgoda i bolesti povezanih sa radom, dok broj smrtnih slučajeva ostaje visok – što uzrokuje ne samo siromaštvo i bol velikom broju porodica, već nameće visoku cijenu društvu u cjelini. Neprihvatljivo je pogoršanje situacije sa zaštitom zdravlja i sigurnosti na radu i prije krize; smatramo da su ulaganje u prevenciju i otvaranje radnih mjesta bez opasnosti ključno pitanje za sve.

Mreža za zaštitu zdravlja i sigurnosti na radu Panevropskog vijeća potcrtava kritičnu važnost socijalnog dijaloga na nacionalnom i multilataralnom nivou, gdje bi se odredile mjere za prevazilaženje ovih negativnih uticaja.

Naglašavamo, najsnažnije što možemo, važnu ulogu socijalnog dijaloga i socijalnih partnera u kontroli virusa na radnim mjestima, ali i šire, ali i u vezi sprečavanja masovnog gubitka radnih mjesta, kratkoročno i srednjoročno. Potrebna je zajednička odgovornsot za dijalog da se ojača stabilnost.

Snažni i funkcionalni zdravstveni sistemi su ključ za borbu protiv pandemije. Pozivamo vlade da iskoriste sve raspoložive resurse; hitno je potrebna podrška vladama da učinkovito koriste zdravstvene ustanove i resurse.

Covid-19 se mora pobijediti preventivnim mjerama, zajedno sa ljekarskom pomoći. Sindikati moraju raditi na podizanju svijesti, boriti se za socijalna prava radnika i pregovarati sa vladama o mjerama socijalne zaštite.

Pozivamo na političku volju potrebnu za potpunu provedbu odredbi MOR konvencija, naročito Konvencije br. 81 o inspekciji rada i Konvencije br. 155 o zaštiti sigurnosti i zdravlja na radu. Pozivamo na širu ulogu unapređenja sindikata u oblasti sigurnosti i zdravlja na radu i prevencije. Pozivamo na strogo uvođenje higijenskih mjera na svim radnim mjestima koje se zahtijevaju nacionalnim zakonima.

 

Energični sistemi različitih tipova inspekcije i provođenje zakona, putem saradnje između vlasti, poslodavaca i sindikata su ključni za održiva poboljšanja. Potencijal sindikata da unaprijede sigurnost i zdravlje na radnim mjestima treba se koristiti na svim nivoima, naročito u vrijeme smanjenja resursa i trenutne pandemije. Smatramo da je od ključne važnosti jačanje institucije tehničkih inspektora radnika, kojima sindikati mogu osigurati svoju podršku.

Smatramo da je imperativ da sindikati imaju ne samo veću ulogu u nadzoru nad pitanjima zaštite sigurnosti i zdravlja na radu, već oni moraju ojačati i svoju ulogu praćenja i pregovaranja, obrazovanja, podizanja svijesti uz pomoć odgovarajućih zakona, ako se želi ostvariti napredak.

Sindikati u regionu vide ključne greške u procjeni rizika u velikom broju preduzeća, što rezultira potcjenjivanjem opasnosti sa kojima se suočavaju radnici. Izloženost radnika tradicionalnim opasnostima, ali i novim poput psihosocijalnih rizika pandemije COVID 19, opasnih supstanci koje povećavaju broj tumora vezanih za rad i okolinske opasnosti su ogromne. Stoga pozivamo na hitno djelovanje!

Ukratko, moraju se poduzeti svi napori da se pomogne radnicima i preduzećima da se izbore sa ovom krizom, da sačuvaju radnike na njihovim radnim mjestima, da ih zaštite od nezaposlenosti i gubitka prihoda, te da se ublaži finansijsko propadanje.

PERC updates re Covid-19

2020, 2020 Europe, Events listing, News

Europe: COVID 19 i Zaštita sigurnosti i zdravlja na radu Izjava PERV Mreže za zaštitu zdravlja i sigurnosti na radu

Drage kolege, dragi članovi PERV Mreže za zaštitu i bezbjednost zdravlja na radu,

Vjerujemo da se svi vi, kao i vaše zemlje suočavaju sa pandemijom COVID 19 i da vlade vaših zemalja donose odgovarajuće mjere zaštite stanovništva i građana , ali i mjere i odgovore na spašavanju radnih mjesta i ekonomija vaših zemalja.

S obzirom da ste vi članovi PERC Mreže za zaštitu i bezbjednost zdravlja na radu, bilo bi dobro da partite mjere vaših vlada i da , ukoliko ste u mogućnosti, napravite veoma kratki pregled stanja po to pitanju i pošaljete nam isti putem maila. Imajući u vidu da se još ne zna koliko ovakvo stanje može trajati, u narednom period ćemo pokušati organizovati online sastanak  ( putem određenih platformi) i razgovarati o ovom pitanju. I sama sam mislila da je to komplikovano, ali sa kolegama iz Brisela redovno imam sastanke na taj način, a i neki veći regionalni sastanci su se tako održavali,  te vam mogu reći da je taj vid komunikacije u datim okolnostima veoma značajan i potreban.

U prilogu vam šaljem prevod na BSCM jezik dokumenta MKS-a “Dan sjećanja na radnike – zaustavimo pandemiju” , pripremljenog povodom 28.aprila – Međunarodnog dana sjećanja na radnike koji su ubijeni, stradali, povrijeđeni na radu ili su postali invalidi rada. Ispod je i link za originalan tekst na engleskom jeziku:

https://www.ituc-csi.org/28April2020

Nadamo se da ćete dokument u prilogu iskoristiti i za obilježavanje 28.aprila ove godine, iako u specifičnim uslovima.

Za sve članove Mreže OHS : U prilogu  takođe dostavljamo Prijedlog Izjave PERC OHS Mreža, te vas ljubazno molimo da date svoje sugestije za izmjene ili dopune Izjave, putem maila, najkasnije do 16.aprila 2020.

Prijedlog Izjave PERV OHS Mreza – BCSM

Želim vam svima dobro zdravlje, u solidarnosti,

Enisa Salimovic,
Office Coordinator

ITUC/PERC SEE Office Sarajevo
71 000 Sarajevo, Dz. Bijedica 37 / VIII
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tel. +387 33 715 305
Tel / Fax. +387 33 715 306
e-mail enisa.salimovic@ituc-csi.ba

PERC updates re Covid-19

2020, 2020 Europe, Events listing, News

Europe: Statement from ITUC’s Pan European Regional Council (OHS Network)

Dear colleagues, dear members of the PERC OHS Network,

We believe that all of you, as well as your countries face with the Covid-19 pandemic, and that your governments adopt appropriate measures aimed at protection of population and citizens, but also the response measures aimed at salvation of jobs and economic in your countries.

Given that all of your are affiliates of PERC OHS Network, it would be good if you could monitor the measures of your governments and, if possible, draft a brief review of the situation in this area, and submit it to us by e-mail. Considering that it cannot be predicted for how long this situation would continue, we shall try in the forthcoming period to organize an online meeting  (by way of some platforms) to talk about these matters. I have also though this could be a complicated, but I do have regular meetings this way with my colleagues from Brussels, and even some bigger meetings were organized this way. I can tell you that this form of communication in given circumstances is extremely relevant and necessary.

I hereby enclose the translation to BSCM language of the ITUC document “Workers’ Memorial Day – Stop Pandemic at Work”, in reference to the 28th April – International Workers’ Memorial Day or Workers’ Mourning Day of remembrance and actions for workers killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work. The link to the original text in English language is: https://www.ituc-csi.org/28April2020

We hope that you will use this document to mark the 28th April this year, although in these specific conditions.

To all Network members on OHS: We are also sending you attached the Draft PERC OHS Networks’ Statement on COVID –  for consultation with you about the final text.

We wish you a good health and in solidarity,

PERC updates re Covid-19

2020, 2020 Netherlands, Events listing, News

The Netherlands: FNV on International Workers’ Memorial Day

In response to the International Trade Union Confederation’s (ITUC) call to share plans and activities on Workers Memorial Day,  Dutch trade union federation Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging (FNV) has announced the creation of a dedicated 28 April webpage.

www.fnv.nl

2020, 2020 UK, Events listing, News

Britain: RMT ‘stop work’ call to unprotected workers

UK transport union RMT has advised tens of thousands of workers in the rail and bus sector to stop work on safety grounds if employers do not provide protection from Covid-19. It says the union’s message to members follows escalating concerns that many employers are not taking steps to protect transport workers.

The RMT advice says rail and bus workers should stop work and invoke the “safe work procedure if employers do not follow key protection measures” including only conducting activities related to essential services, avoiding group and close promixity work and maintaining two metre separation of workers. Where this isn’t possible on essential jobs “then personal protective equipment such as gloves, eye defenders and masks [are] to be utilised by all workers in close proximity to provide mutual assurance and the time spent within two metres must be minimised and only for the purpose of the task. If full appropriate PPE is not available then work should not commence.”

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said “we have issued advice to our members in the rail and bus sectors that they should stop work on safety grounds if employers do not provide protection from Covid-19. That means that if they are not provided with PPE, including masks, eye defenders and gloves where necessary they should not be working.” He added: “Our members are increasingly concerned that many employers are not taking steps to protect transport workers despite rail and bus staff playing a key role in keeping people and goods moving in the fight against Covid-19.”

Citing the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the union advice notes: “Employees are protected by law if they decide that their work situation represents a threat of ‘serious or imminent danger’ and as a result of this belief they remove themselves to a place of safety. Protection is also given to trade union appointed health and safety representatives. RMT believes the current coronavirus–Covid-19 pandemic represents a real threat to life that can be deemed as ‘serious and imminent’.”

RMT news release and advice for rail and bus members.