U N U Naing ing Thein hein Aung Aung Secretary for etary for - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

U N U Naing ing Thein hein Aung Aung Secretary for etary for Organizing Department Organizing Department AFFM AFFM – IUF UF 29-30 September, 2016.

 The ILO has adopted more than 40 standards

specifically dealing with occupational safety and health, as well as over 40 Codes of

• Practice. Nearly half of ILO instruments deal

directly or indirectly with occupational safety and health issues.

 Occupational

Occupational Safety and Heal Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155) th Convention, 1981 (No. 155)

 Occupational

Occupational Health Services Health Services Convention, 1985 Convention, 1985 (No. 161) (No. 161)

 Promotional Framework for

Promotional Framework for Occu Occupational pational Safety and Health Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187) Convention, 2006 (No. 187)

 Safety and Health in Agricul

Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention, 2001 ure Convention, 2001 (No. 184) (No. 184)

 Safety and Health in Constr

Safety and Health in Construction Convention, 1988 (No. uction Convention, 1988 (No. 167) 167)

 Can represent the voice of workers  Provides documentation as well as good

record keeping and overall transparency

 Enhances evaluation process by providing

better structured and coherent monitoring

 Educates agricultural workers about effective

labour laws

 Accept meetings with union representatives  Discuss with union representatives relevant

topics and approaches for meeting targets

 Follow up the collective agreement of

Tripartite/Bipartite meeting

 Foster a healthy relationship and good

practices for effectively communicating with Trade Unions.

 Encourage good communication practices

between Trade Unions and legislative bodies.

 Promote effective discourse when addressing

the needs of workers.

 Encourage receptiveness and understanding

amongst all participants

 70 % of employment are in Agriculture  Targeted area of economic reform

 Foreword :

• Agriculture is one of three most hazardous occupations, next

to mining and construction.

• 355,000 fatal accidents take place every year ;
• Over half of these take place in Agriculture

(Note : Agriculture is largest sector for female employment in many countries; it accounts for 70% of child labour worldwide.)

 Ref: ICESCR Art 7 (b) – the right of everyone to “Safe and

healthy working conditions”

 “Protection of workers’ safety and health is a fundamental

human right,” Seiji Machida, head of ILO’s SafeWork Programme, Sept 2012, in response to Karachi factory fire.

 To fulfil this, Employers should have a preventive approach – ie.

aim to prevent accidents and injury to health – by eliminating, minimising or controlling hazards in working environment ;

 Need to set up a system.

• Employ

Employer ers must preve must prevent t harm by harm by IDENTIFYING fores IDENTIFYING foreseeable ble hazards, hazards, under undertak take ASSESSM SSMENT of T of ris risk s s an and ELIMINATING them d ELIMINATING them or

• r have

have A PLAN A PLAN TO P PROTECT w OTECT workers rkers from these h ese hazards zards ; ;

• Establ

Establish a h a SYSTE SYSTEM FOR WORKERS’ PART FOR WORKERS’ PARTICIPATION in health ICIPATION in health and safety and safety (includ (including el ng electi ecting health and ng health and saf safety ty rep reps, , and a joint and a joint managem management/uni nt/union

• n

committe committee)

• Keep A

A HAZARD R REGISTER w where h ere hazard zards s ar are i e iden entified tified

• Keep

Keep an ACCIDENT an ACCIDENT REGISTER REGISTER of all

• f all accidents

ccidents that caused or might have that caused or might have caus caused harm ed harm

• NOTIFY THE

NOTIFY THE UNION of any serious harm UNION of any serious harm injurie injuries or

• r occupational disease
• ccupational disease.
• IDENTIFICATION

IDENTIFICATION OF HAZA OF HAZARDOUS CHEMIC RDOUS CHEMICALS S AND RECORD AND RECORD IN REGISTE IN REGISTER ;

• Exposure

Exposure MONITORING , MONITORING , HEAL HEALTH SURVE TH SURVEILL LLANCE ANCE ; ;

• PROVIDE OH&S INFORMA

PROVIDE OH&S INFORMATION, INST ION, INSTRUCTION RUCTION & TRAINING to employees & TRAINING to employees

• PROVIDE WORKERS WITH ALL

PROVIDE WORKERS WITH ALL NECESSA NECESSARY RY SAFETY EQUIPM SAFETY EQUIPMENT ENT (PPE) at (PPE) at the the employ employer er’s ’s expens expense

• LABE

LABELLING ING , WARNING , WARNING SIGNS ; SIGNS ;

• btain sufficie
• btain sufficient information to

nt information to FULFIL L LEGISLATIVE R SLATIVE REQUIREMENTS QUIREMENTS

• provide for E

provide for EMERGENC ERGENCIES IES

• provide

provide and maintain AM and maintain AMENITIE ITIES

• provide

provide FIRST AID FACILITIES AND FIRST AID FACILITIES AND PERSONNEL PERSONNEL

 Minimum age in agriculture – not less than 18 years. (Art 16)  temporary and seasonal workers receive the same safety and

health protection as that accorded to comparable permanent workers in agriculture (Art 17)

 special needs of women agricultural workers are taken into

account in relation to pregnancy, breastfeeding and reproductive health.(Art 18)

 competent authority shall prescribe, after consultation with the

representative organizations of employers and workers concerned - welfare facilities and accommodation standards (Art 19)

 WORKING TIME ARRANGEMENTS, Article 20 : Hours of work,

night work and rest periods for workers in agriculture shall be in accordance with national laws and regulations or collective agreements.

 Background documents are :

 ILO Convention 184 - Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention, 2001)  ILO Code of Practice (OSH, Agriculture) 2010.  Relevant National policy and legislation

 Prepare a well-founded document (report) of the

OSH situation at the workplace;

 Inform workers (and AFFM - IUF) and obtain their

support to raise issue with management ;

 Seek a meeting with management by sending the

report ; (if the employer is a TNC, go through the IUF)



Aim to secure OSH agreement from management to have a system system and a plan a plan to protect workers ;

 Post agreement :

• Inform workers of the agreement and about the next step ;
• Start training union leaders to negotiate implementation of

the OSH agreement

• Chemicals : (including Paraquat, Endosulfan)

 “contamination of surface water and groundwater pollution can result from the large-scale application

• f

fertilizers, pesticides and agrochemicals in beans and pea growing area”  “In this study it was found that more than 70% Agri labours were unaware about the hazardous effects of common chemicals use in bean, pea and rubber plantation” –  Sprayers (many casuals) are generally unprotected, as are their handling of chemicals  supposed to be an 8-10 day gap between spraying and plucking, but many vegetable and fruits estate owners do not allow their workers to follow this safety measure. Despite the dangerous exposure to toxic materials, workers are often not provided with protective and safety gear such as masks, gloves, goggles, rubber boots, and polythene aprons.11

• Environmental problem : Diarrhoea, Malaria, and others water-borne

disease are ‘Acute Problem’ of the bean and pea belts

• Welfare facilities – water, toilets , housing (see Code of Practice ILO )

 Common use of Paraquat, a herbicide linked to

Parkinson's disease, cancer and reduced fertility. marketed globally as Gramoxone. (Today, paraquat is banned in over 30 countries due to its severe impacts on human health)



Goodbye Paraquat Goodbye Paraquat – Rubber, Beans and Corn Producers Saying No to Hazardous Pesticide,

 Noise- above 85 decibels ;  Bagasse Dust,  Heat,  Chemical (e.g Laboratory chemical like lead)

 AFFM – IUF awareness and campaign on

Goodbye Paraquat in Agriculture Sector from 2015 August – 2016 April

 Stop Glyphosate Campaign

 In October 2016, Raising awareness

• n Global Agreement (Stockholm

Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants) to “phase out” the farm insecticide endosulfan

 What role do you want us to play ?  Support unions wanting to prepare to raise

demand for an agreement with major employers on OSH prevention ?

 Encourage affiliates in this sector to be more

conscious of OSH issues and workers rights ?

 Reduce using chemical in Agriculture  Increasing GDP  Economic recover

 Laws are needed to better define labour

rights

 Laws are needed to better enforce the laws on

labour rights and better see plans to fruition

 Laws are needed to more accurately

interpret/ better clarify the laws on labour rights

 after AFFM - IUF raising the issue.