{"id":4226,"date":"2021-03-11T14:42:16","date_gmt":"2021-03-11T14:42:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/28april.org\/?p=4226"},"modified":"2021-03-11T14:42:16","modified_gmt":"2021-03-11T14:42:16","slug":"global-work-health-and-safety-must-be-fundamental","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/28april.org\/?p=4226","title":{"rendered":"Global: Work health and safety must be fundamental"},"content":{"rendered":"

A death toll of work that claims five lives every minute of every hour of every day<\/a> around the world demonstrated the scale of the problem. That\u2019s why, says Owen Tudor, that two years ago International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference agreed that occupational health and safety should become a fundamental right at work. Tudor, the deputy general secretary of the global union confederation ITUC, said the ILO\u2019s centennial conference was held nearly a year before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, and changed the working world.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pandemic has only reinforced the case for health and safety at work to be given a higher profile and a higher priority. But it still hasn\u2019t happened,\u201d he wrote in an Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI) blog post. Later this month, workers\u2019 representatives on the ILO Governing Body will be arguing that the final steps that need to be taken to give effect to that centennial conference decision should be scheduled for this year\u2019s ILO conference in June.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we can\u2019t secure agreement, we will be demanding that at the very least, the next Governing Body meeting this November should complete the preparations, so that the final decision can be taken without further delay, in June 2022,\u201d Tudor explained. That will mean persuading more governments and the employers\u2019 lobby group IOE to throw their weight behind the move.<\/p>\n

According to Tudor many major employers, including those who are ETI members, already support the move. \u201cWe want to see more employers doing what ETI\u2019s members have done<\/a>, and come out publicly to support the speedy recognition of occupational health and safety as a fundamental right at work\u2026\u00a0 making occupational health and safety a fundamental right at work would reduce the toll of death, injury and illness for workers, businesses, families and communities. It would save lives at work. We must do it now.\u201d<\/p>\n

See: Occupational health and safety should be a fundamental right at work<\/a>, ETI blog, 8 March 2021.<\/p>\n

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