Standards and rights at work

Key international labour standards and other instruments important to the sector include:

• Convention concerning Safety and Health in Agriculture 2001 (n. 184) (which encompasses forestry as well)
  
• Code of Practice on OHS in Forestry Work 1998
  
• Guidelines for Labour Inspection in Forestry 2005
  

The industry and standards of work

Contract labour accounts for a large and growing share of the forestry workforce in most countries. More and more forest owners or firms rely on contractors hired for a particular job, rather than permanently employing their own workers. The contractors may be owner-operators, i.e. single person firms, family businesses, or have a number of workers. While they are legally considered entrepreneurs, contractors in some countries have little autonomy and can be workers in disguise. Contractors in many countries are not covered by labour legislation and enjoy much less protection than employed workers. The contractors themselves and their team have very unstable employment. Under pressure to cut costs in a very competitive market, contractors often overextend themselves and their team with a high pace of work and excessive working hours. They sometimes resort to illegal practices such as moonlighting and hiring undeclared immigrants.