Kenya Quarry and mining workers union (KQMWU) took a workplace OHS campaign meeting at Warren Concrete limited to lobby for the implementation of OHS as a fundamental right during the April 28th IWMD.
Kenya Quarry and mining workers union (KQMWU) took a workplace OHS campaign meeting at Warren Concrete limited to lobby for the implementation of OHS as a fundamental right during the April 28th IWMD.
Zimbabwe Construction and Allied Trade Workers Union (ZCATWU) celebrating the IWMD 2023 Carried out some worksite inspections and engaged company management to recognize OHS as a fundamental right for workers.
To commemorate International Workers’ Memorial Day a group of shop stewards from different trade unions in Sub-Saharan Africa came together, in Ghana, to visit and learn about adherence to occupational health and safety standards at state-owned Tema oil refinery and Trafigura’s Tema multiproduct terminal known as Blue Ocean. As symbols of remembrance the workers and delegation wore black ribbons and carried black candles.
Kofi Poku, the union branch chairperson at the terminal said,
“Blue Ocean is known to be conscious on health and safety issues and workers make significant contributions towards creating a safe working environment. The visit by IndustriALL is commendable and highlights the commitment of organised labour at global level to ensure health and safety at work.”
A meeting preceding the visit discussed country reports which focused on: accident reporting systems in Togo, campaigns for health and safety laws in mining that protected workers’ rights in South Africa, and campaigns against precarious work as workers, in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda, with short contracts faced more health and safety risks than those on permanent contracts.
The meeting also heard that Madagascar’s garment and textile factories’ contract workers faced risks that were worsened by sexual harassment which was targeted at young women workers. The meeting discussed the positive impact of the Bangladesh Accord on Sub-Saharan Africa especially the involvement of brands through global framework agreements after the Rana Plaza disaster which happened a decade ago.
In Mauritius, unions were campaigning for proposed amendments to Articles 7, 10, 11, and 22, to the Rotterdam Convention, a global treaty to facilitate informed decision making by countries to manage chemicals in international trade and exchange information on hazardous chemicals and their potential risks. The campaign by the CTSP received government endorsement, and Mauritius’ position will be presented at the 11th conference of parties to the Rotterdam Convention that is currently taking place in Geneva, Switzerland.
Glen Mpufane, Industrial director for mining and lead on health and safety, said:
“Workers have made immense sacrifices on health and safety and as trade union activists we are in solidarity on their demands for safer workplaces. It is a victory for workers that health and safety is now one of the fundamental rights at work and this is why we must have knowledge on international labour conventions and recommendations. However, as we remember the injured and dead, we must adapt our programmes to include human rights’ due diligence and demand responsible business conduct from employers.”
Glen added that workers must remain vigilant on identifying hazards and risks at the workplaces including wearing of appropriate personal protective equipment in hazardous areas and exercising the right to refuse unfair and unsafework.
The participants are part of the Sub-Saharan Africa occupational health and safety committee whose members are drawn from the chemical, garment and textile, mining, oil and gas, and other industrial sectors. This visit was organized by IndustriALL affiliate, the Ghana Transport Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union which organizes workers at the Tema Oil Refinery and Blue Ocean.
BWI trade union affiliates in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal and the Philippines marked this year’s International Workers’ Memorial Day by raising awareness on the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) adoption of occupational health and safety as a fundamental right of all workers. They said that it is an important victory that must be fully maximised. The Asia Pacific trade unionists called on their respective governments and employers to recognise this right and see to it that it is fully implemented in all workplaces.
Glimpses from actions in Tamil Nadu – RWO & SGEU
On 28 April, unions across the country gathered to remember people who were killed or injured at work.
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions held a memorial service at the Workers’ Memorial stone on the Wellington waterfront.
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff said New Zealand unions were proud to stand with their international counterparts to commemorate this event.
“In New Zealand, a person is killed on the job every single week. As a country, we have a long way to go to make our workplaces safe. It’s crucial that we continue to remember everyone who has been injured or killed at work.”
Wagstaff was joined by speakers from WorkSafe Deputy Chief Executive Mike Hargreaves, and New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union Secretary Wattie Watson.
The event also saw the launch of Not One More, an NZCTU campaign to introduce corporate manslaughter legislation in New Zealand.
“More needs to be done to ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees are killed at work. We need a legal framework to make this possible.”
To find out more about Not One More, visit: https://www.together.org.nz/not_one_more_open_letter
28 aprila, 2023 sindikat 0 Comments
U okviru Konferencije pod nazivom „Zdravo radno okruženje kao osnovno pravo na radu“, organizovanoj u Podgorici povodom 28.aprila -Međunarodnog dana sjećanja na poginule i povrijeđenje radnike, između ostalog predstavljene su aktivnosti i rezultati Projekta koji Savez sindikata Crne Gore realizuje uz podršku programa švedskih sindikata Union to Union i Regionalne kancelarije MKS-PERC iz Sarajeva.
Na panel diskusiji predstavljen je edukativni materijal u vidu zbirke prezentacija sa seminara koje je SSCG organizovao u okviru ovog projekta, i koji je prvenstveno namjenjen članovima Mreže za zaštitu na radu SSCG, ali i drugim sindikalnim aktivistima.
Ovaj dan, koji sindikati, ali i svi ostali akteri u ovoj oblasti širom svijeta obilježavaju u cilju sjećanja na sve povrijeđene i poginule radnike, ali i globalnog promovisanja važnosti primjene mjera zaštite i zdravlja na radu.
Veoma posjećenu konferenciju organizovali su Ministarstvo rada i socijalnog staranja i kancelarija MOR-a u Crnoj Gori.
New information revealed by the Scottish TUC and Scottish Hazards show those dying as a result of work has reached its highest levels since 2019, prompting urgent calls for reform of corporate homicide legislation.
The STUC, Scotland’s largest trade union body and Scottish Hazards, the national charity for safety at work, published the information today on International Workers’ Memorial Day.
Provisional data from the organisations show that 21 workers died as a result of industrial harm this past year, almost doubling the 2019 total (11). Scottish Hazards believe the number is far higher when encompassing road traffic accidents connected to work, occupational disease and workplace related suicides.
The move has prompted calls from the bodies for the Scottish Government to replace the Corporate Homicide Act (2007), reforming legislation to introduce new statutory offences to hold companies and corporations to account for workplace deaths. Since the Act was introduced, over 300 workers have died, but there have been no prosecutions recorded or justice served for bereaved families.
International Workers’ Memorial Day is the national day of recognition for all those who have died at work. STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer called the data “galling” and called for further protections for those at work.
Commenting, Ms Foyer said:
“It’s incumbent on Scotland’s trade union movement to remember all those who have died at work and pledge to make the workplace safer in their honour.
“It’s unacceptable and frankly galling that the amount of workers in Scotland who have died at work has increased.
“Bosses are ultimately responsible for workers health and safety and they must be held accountable.
“We cannot allow this to pass unchecked and on International Workers’ Memorial Day, the STUC reiterate our call to remember the dead whilst fighting for the living.”
Ian Tasker, Scottish Hazards Chief Executive added
“In January 2021, Humza Yousaf, then Cabinet Secretary for Justice said in a Scottish Parliament debate that he wanted to work with bereaved families to develop culpable homicide proposals that addressed reserved matters.
“Sadly, nothing happened and it was no more than warm words in a debate.
“Scottish Hazards wants corporate killing legislation that is seen as a deterrent. Businesses cannot so wilfully put workers lives at risk. We need a just and proper punishment for those who, through corporate negligence and neglect, put workers’ lives at risk in the workplace.”
https://stuc.org.uk/media-centre/news/1692/fatalities-at-work-doubles-in-scotland