1. Making the world of work safe: ITUC policies

2. Activities & priorities for 2010- 2014
Summary
ITUC, mandate on OSH
Activities & priorities for
28 April: our shared effort, our shared success

3. The ITUC & Occupational Health and Safety
Occupational health and safety has been at the centre of trade union history and demands.
International dimension of OSH is difficult: no international body to discuss occupational health and safety, but a myriad of bodies with responsibilities on the issue (ILO, WHO, UNEP, sectoral organisations, UN bodies dealing with chemicals, etc)
National centres have a very different capacity to deal with this issue

4. The ITUC & Occupational Health and Safety
Challenges:
2.2 million work-related fatalities, including
over 100,000 deaths per year from exposure to asbestos alone
270 million occupational accidents
160 million work-related diseases
50,000 children under 14 are estimated to die annually from work-related accidents and illnesses
=> 4% of GDP is lost globally owing to the direct and indirect cost of such accidents and illnesses. Accident and illness rate increasing in developing countries (dangerous sectors and activities such as agriculture, the timber industry, fishing and construction)
Informal economic relationships => absence of any type of social protection and health and safety protection at work.
Gender dimension (differing impact re: exposure to toxic substances –including effects on reproductive health, repeated cases of violence and harassment at work).
Immigrants form another vulnerable group.
ITUC adopted a resolution covering occupational health and safety ( ).

5. Our actions ITUC & its affiliates committed to:
- Organise campaigns to prevent death, injury and illness from the effects of chemicals or dangerous substances such as asbestos
Ensure that workplace practices protect the reproductive health of women and men.
Calls on all governments to ratify and apply the ILO conventions on health and safety at work, particularly ILO Convention No. 187 Concerning the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health.
- Stress the need for governments to ratify ILO Convention No. 81, Labour Inspection and to strengthen the level and quality of public inspection systems in order to prevent violation of workers’ rights and of occupational health and safety, provisions particularly in unprotected irregular jobs.
Promote the inclusion of occupational health clauses in collective bargaining.
Work for the improvement of occupational health and safety in all countries, including as relates to
exposure to hazardous chemicals,
psycho-social hazards and
other occupational injuries and accidents, and
respond to emerging challenges through the application of the precautionary principle

6. Our work programme Promote ratification of standards
Promote the formulation of national health and safety programmes
Encourage the creation of information systems for registering and notification of accidents and illnesses
Establish specific programmes for protecting the health of women & vulnerablr groups
Support capacity building activities
Undertake efforts to ban hazardous substances such as endosulfan and paraquat and to achieve a total world ban on the use and commercialisation of asbestos

7. Work plan for
1. Work for the Improvement of OHS in all countries, including work on "traditional" and "emerging" hazards
“Products”
Consultation with OHS reps in national centers in order to establish priorities
Survey among OHS experts
Side Event Activity on "Trade Unions make work safer" in Istanbul OHS Congress
Activities
Identification of relevant international bodies to be influenced
Use ISO to promote worker participation and rights in company OSH activities
Communication strategy
Regular communications through OHS e-lists
Visibility around OHS Congress Side event to be improved

8. Work plan for
2. Promote ratification of ILO conventions 155 and 168 on OHS, and worldwide recognition of 28 April
Compile status of ratification
Add in OHS strategy survey a component on the feasibility of C155 ratification by country and focus on "low hanging fruits"
Coordination of theme selection and activities' promotion
Compilation and edition of national reports for filling the website
Preparation of electronic communications
Post-28 April Survey
Communication Strategy
Regular updates on ICD via lists
WMD website, in cooperation with Hazards
Need to capitalise the mobilisation with better press coverage and better follow up

9. Work plan for
3.Specific programmes to protect occupational health of women & vulnerable groups, e.g. migrant workers
Products
A series of leaflets on good practices for dealing with OHS of vulnerable groups
Activities
Promote the mainstreaming of OHS issues in ITUC statements and policies for vulnerable groups
Compile good practices and identify the best means to visibilise them

10. Work plan for
4. Ban asbestos worldwide, and other hazardous substances such as endosulfan & paraquat
- A side event on asbestos in the OHS Congress in Istanbul
Failure in Rotterdam Convention but progress in Philippines & India!
Endosulfan banned 

11. 28 April: our shared effort, our shared success
28 APRIL: International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers
What?: We remember workers who died, were injued or fell ill due to unsafe, unhealthy or unsustainable work and workplaces around the world.
20 countries and territories have officially recognised 28th April (in the Asian region, only Taiwan…)
28 April has three objectives:
To commemorate those who have lost their lives and their health at or because of their work
To raise awareness about the risk of disease, injury or death for workers in all sectors and countries
To engage all workers and unions in a positive action day for dialogue, transformation and progress on OHS

12. 28 April: our shared effort, our shared success (2)
28 APRIL Edition:
57 countries on board, in some hundreds of events.
All Global Unions & ITUC regional offices involved.
A major rallying call: “Unions make workplaces safer”

13. Thank You!