ILO LIAISON OFFICE – BRUSSELS
NEWSLETTER NO. 9/2005
Health and Safety at Work
The World Congress on Safety and Health at Work, held in Orlando, USA between 18 and 22 September 2005, gave the ILO an opportunity to present the
findings of two new studies, one on health and safety at work and the other on food at work. The first study, available by clicking
here, provides estimates on the annual number of work-related accidents
and diseases worldwide (affecting 2.2 million people) and their impact on the labour market and on companies. It also provides a regional breakdown on
the effectiveness of reporting and coverage systems. The report stresses that this figure of 2.2 million is undoubtedly a gross underestimate since
many countries have poor data collection systems. Interestingly, whilst the number of work-related illnesses and deaths has lessened somewhat in the
industrialised countries, the number of accidents - in particular fatal ones - appears to be increasing. To read the press release on this report, click
here.
The second study, entitled Food at Work: Workplace solutions for malnutrition, obesity and chronic diseases, provides a unique look at workplace
eating habits worldwide and their potential impact on workers' health and productivity. The report was presented in our July 2005 Newsletter and in a
press release available by clicking
here.
Finally, still on the subject of health and safety at work, an international conference to be attended by several ILO experts will be held in
Düsseldorf, Germany, from 24 to 26 October 2005. The theme of the conference will be 'Fair Globalisation - Safe Workplace'. Click
here to find out more about this conference.
Fatigue and working time in road transport
Fatigue is the main cause of accidents and deaths in road transport. Fatigue cannot always be prevented, but it can be better managed.
This is the main message of the latest ILO working paper (click
here), which examines the various links between accidents,
working hours and the fatigue suffered by long-distance lorry drivers. The paper examines how fatigue is covered by legislation and presents several
initiatives taken by governments, employers and trade unions in a bid to tackle the issue in the road haulage sector.
50,000 Chinese workers exploited in France
According to a recent ILO study, some 50,000 illegal Chinese immigrants living in France are easy prey to exploitation through forced labour.
Victims of trafficking, at the end of their dangerous journey through transit countries where they run the risk of racketeering, violence and
sometimes death, the migrants have little choice but to integrate into a parallel ethnic economy where they can remain trapped for years, mainly
in the clothing and catering sectors. 75% of Chinese migrants who have illegally entered France owe their traffickers debts ranging from €12,000
to €20,000. Major economic and social changes in China have caused this trend to rise over the past 10 years, with more than 6,000 Chinese immigrants
arriving each year in Paris and the surrounding region
In this report based on a survey conducted in close collaboration with the French authorities, the Chinese migrants themselves describe the inhuman
conditions of their invisible life. This shocking ILO document, entitled The trafficking and exploitation of Chinese immigrants in France,
is available in French
here.
New publication on international labour standards
The ILO has issued a new publication that provides a comprehensive overview of labour standards on issues including forced labour, child labour,
freedom of association and collective bargaining, equality at work and other key workplace concerns. Rules of the game: a brief introduction to
International Labour Standards was written for a non-specialist audience and designed to raise global awareness of such standards.
The text discusses the importance of ILO Conventions and Recommendations, and how they are applied and monitored.
To request a copy of this brochure, which is available in English, French and Spanish, contact our office by e-mail at andry@ilo.org. Click
here for more information on international labour standards.
The ILO and the informal economy
The informal economy usually generates badly paid jobs and activities that are unstable and unprotected. The ILO Bureau for Employers' Activities
(ACT/EMP) is working in conjunction with employers' federations in several countries to help workers in the informal economy obtain decent work
and develop their micro-businesses more effectively. Two reports published on the ILO website present examples of this type of cooperation. One
of the reports, available
here, focuses on gold mining in Mongolia. Half of the country's
gold comes from the informal mining activities of the so-called 'ninjas'. They are unemployed miners or traditional Mongolian herder families that
have been unable to continue their semi-nomadic lifestyle due to loss of livestock caused by severe winters. The ILO and the Mongolian Employers'
Federation (MONEF) assist in promoting the formalisation of the informal mining sector, including safer and more productive mining activities and
the elimination of child labour.
The second report, available
here, looks at Kenya, where the government and the Federation of
Kenya Employers (FKE) are now setting up links between the formal and the informal economy in a bid to create a win-win situation for both sectors.
One major component of the programme is the promotion of links between companies and sub-contracting arrangements. Links have also been established
with larger companies, like General Motors (GM), which now use local companies in the informal sector to supply parts they used to import.
The trade unions' role in tackling poverty
The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty will kick off in Geneva on 17 October 2005 with an international colloquium on the role of
trade unions in a globalised economy and in tackling poverty. Around 60 trade union leaders from all five continents will assess, among other things,
the progress made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals and, above all, the challenges that still need to be overcome if those goals
are to be reached. The policies of international financial institutions will also be examined, as will the ILO's role in tackling poverty, with
debates focusing on the 'decent work' campaign. Click
here to access the working paper summing up global
changes, which will serve as the basis for debate.
New publication
The following recent ILO publications may be of special interest to our readers:
Glossary of labour law and industrial relations (with special reference to the European Union)
2005; 287 pp., ISBN 92-2-115731-8 ; 33 €
This Glossary of labour law and industrial relations, one of the first of its kind, provides a comprehensive overview of the development and
current status of labour law and industrial relations issues. Going a step further than simple definitions, this easy-to-use glossary also
provides cross-references between international labour standards and European Union directives, resolutions and regulations. Click
here to order a copy.
Scheduled meetings
Click
here for a list of ILO meetings scheduled for 2005 and 2006.