ILO accompanies the Occupational Safety and Health National Policy Presidential signature
Presidential signature of the Decree approving the OSH National Policy brings to an end a tripartite process of formulation, in which the ILO has provided technical assistance and support to the tripartite constituents.
5 August 2016
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Santiago de Chile.- On August 4 at La Moneda Palace, the President of the Republic, Mrs. Michelle Bachelet, signed the Decree approving the OSH National Policy, result of a process of tripartite social dialogue which took place on 2014-2016 and during which the ILO Office for the Southern Cone of Latin America provided technical assistance and accompaniment to tripartite constituents.
On the occasion, the president said: "Today we implement a new OSH Policy and thus are taking a new step in our way to Decent Work, as committed since the first day of Government".
Fabio Bertranou, Director of the ILO Office for the Southern Cone of Latin America, welcomed the initiative and said: "This is a breakthrough for the country as this Policy is the result of a tripartite dialogue process that gathered the views of the most representative organizations of workers and employers as well as public institutions, both at central and regional level, considering the different realities in safety and health at work issues in the country".
The OSH National Policy shall result in compliance with one of the obligations under ILO Convention No. 187, ratified by Chile and in force since April 2012.
In the framework of the implementation process of this Convention, since 2014, tripartite national constituents participated in the formulation process of this OSH National Policy through 6 main phases: I. Tripartite workshop on ILO guidelines and international comparative experience, conducted by ILO OSH specialists; II. Methodological design for the consultation process; III. Regional consultation workshops and preparation of a first Policy draft, with ILO support; IV. Opinion of the OSH Advisory Council; V. Opinion of the OSH Committee of Ministers; and VI. Adoption of the OSH National Policy.
Regarding its contents, the Policy includes the principles of respect for life and physical and mental integrity of workers as a fundamental right; development of a preventive approach; gender equity; universality and inclusion; participation and social dialogue; and comprehensiveness, among others.
Through these principles, the policy seeks to promote a culture of prevention, incorporating the prevention of occupational risks and health promotion in education, training and skills; improving the legislative framework; strengthen inspection institutions; and reducing the occurrence of occupational accidents and diseases.
Jointly with a wide dissemination of the Policy, next step will be the development of an OSH National Profile, for which the Ministry of Labour requested the ILO technical assistance, in order to identify strengths and weaknesses, gaps and priorities for building an OSH tripartite National Program.
On the occasion, the president said: "Today we implement a new OSH Policy and thus are taking a new step in our way to Decent Work, as committed since the first day of Government".
Fabio Bertranou, Director of the ILO Office for the Southern Cone of Latin America, welcomed the initiative and said: "This is a breakthrough for the country as this Policy is the result of a tripartite dialogue process that gathered the views of the most representative organizations of workers and employers as well as public institutions, both at central and regional level, considering the different realities in safety and health at work issues in the country".
The OSH National Policy shall result in compliance with one of the obligations under ILO Convention No. 187, ratified by Chile and in force since April 2012.
In the framework of the implementation process of this Convention, since 2014, tripartite national constituents participated in the formulation process of this OSH National Policy through 6 main phases: I. Tripartite workshop on ILO guidelines and international comparative experience, conducted by ILO OSH specialists; II. Methodological design for the consultation process; III. Regional consultation workshops and preparation of a first Policy draft, with ILO support; IV. Opinion of the OSH Advisory Council; V. Opinion of the OSH Committee of Ministers; and VI. Adoption of the OSH National Policy.
Regarding its contents, the Policy includes the principles of respect for life and physical and mental integrity of workers as a fundamental right; development of a preventive approach; gender equity; universality and inclusion; participation and social dialogue; and comprehensiveness, among others.
Through these principles, the policy seeks to promote a culture of prevention, incorporating the prevention of occupational risks and health promotion in education, training and skills; improving the legislative framework; strengthen inspection institutions; and reducing the occurrence of occupational accidents and diseases.
Jointly with a wide dissemination of the Policy, next step will be the development of an OSH National Profile, for which the Ministry of Labour requested the ILO technical assistance, in order to identify strengths and weaknesses, gaps and priorities for building an OSH tripartite National Program.
| The Minister of Labor, Mrs. Ximena Rincón; the President of the Republic, Mrs.Michelle Bachelet; the ILO Director of Santiago Office, Mr. Fabio Bertranou and the Minister of Health, Mrs. Carmen Castillo at La Moneda Palace. |