Youth 4 OSH: OSH for Young Workers and Young Employers in Global Supply Chains —Building a Culture of Prevention

Over the past three decades, sourcing of a wide variety of goods and services in the global economy has shifted from comparatively well-regulated and high-wage establishments in the developed world to poorly regulated and low-wage workplaces in the developing world. As trade in global supply chains (GSCs) increases, so has concern over labour standards in the developing world, including workplace safety and health. In particular, a series of high-profile workplace disasters has drawn attention to the high toll of injuries and diseases in GSCs.

One of the key factors cited for this high injury toll is the lack of awareness of workplace safety and worker rights. The project seeks to address this by developing and pilot testing a range of tools and strategies for raising workplace safety awareness, and generating public demand for improvements in national OSH systems. To achieve these objectives, the project will establish and engage networks of young intermediaries in the construction and manufacturing sectors, which will then be equipped with the tools and skills to promote OSH awareness and preventative action.

The project targets young workers and young employers engaged in global supply chains in Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Viet Nam.

This initiative is a key element of the ILO’s OSH flagship programme: Occupational Safety and Health - Global Action for Prevention (OSH-GAP) and contributes towards the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on decent work and economic growth and the SDG on good health and well-being.