Tag Archives: Europe

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

Belgium: ACV – CSC takes action on the 28 April

Every year ACV – CSC takes action on the 28th of April to raise awareness around health and safety at work.  In 2015 focusing on the REFIT-program of the European Commission, several problems within the dangerous substances legislation  (occupational limit values, carcinogens and reprotoxic substances) and organising a large information campaign on the use of dangerous substances. Following actions took place:

  1. In all Belgian companies with workers representatives, but also in some SME’s ACV-CSC distributed leaflets with information on the safe use of dangerous substances, employers and workers obligations. (leaflet in French and Dutch )
  1. ACV-CSC prepared a publication on the REFIT-program of the European Commission to explain what it is really about, a deregulation of workers rights, also in the field of health and safety (link to the REFIT-publication in French •  More information.
  1. On Tuesday, 28th of April,  together with FGTB, CGSLB and ETUC ACV-CSC visited our minister of labor, Kris Peeters and asked him:
  • To make sure that REFIT won’t affect the health and safety of workers.
  • To defend the necessary revision of the European carcinogens directive with a priority list of 50 binding occupational exposure limits and the integration of the reprotoxic substances in the scope of this directive.
  • To defend a harmonisation of OELs in the European Community to prevent disloyal competition at the expense of workers health.
  • To take action on a national level to integrate reprotoxics in Belgian legislation on carcinogens.

More information on this visit you can find here in French  and in Dutch.

 

Europe: Unions say STOP treating protection from hazardous chemicals as “red tape”

For this 28th April, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) will run a highly visible action, focusing on the 100,000 people who die every year in the EU as a result of occupational cancers, as well as the 150,000 people who have died waiting for the EU to approve the Directive on Carcinogens and Mutagens at Work, held up since October 2013 by an EU review of ‘red tape’.

To mark the International Workers’ Memorial Day, the ETUC is planning to meet with Commissioners and MEPs at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, and will participate in events in Belgium and Latvia.

ETUC General Secretary Bernadette Ségol will meet European Parliament President Martin Schulz and European Employment Commissioner Thyssen in the European Parliament in Strasbourg .

ETUC 28 April webpages

The artwork below will be used at these events.

etuc1 etuc2 etuc3