ETUC: Zero death at work Manifesto

On International Workers Memorial Day 2022 (28 April), when those killed or injured at work are remembered, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) published the Zero death at work manifesto , signed by trade unionists, researchers, MEPs and ten or so European ministers.
The signatories point out that in the EU, every working day, 12 working people do not come home from work because they have died at work. They urge “the European Union, member state governments and employers to bring an end to deaths at work. We call for zero death at work.” The signatories believe that this target “is not a utopian dream. The trend in fatal workplace accidents is down and eradication of fatal accidents is achievable.” The number of fatal workplace accidents in the EU fell by approximately 70% between 1994 and 2018.
The European Commission points out that “Despite this progress, there were still more than 3,300 fatal accidents and 3.1 million non-fatal accidents in the EU-27 in 2018, and more than 200,000 workers die each year from work-related illnesses”, (see Occupational accidents and diseases).
Moreover, since the early 2010s, the decline in the number of fatal accidents has slowed down significantly. The latest figures published in Italy show an 11.4% rise in fatal workplace accidents in 2021. In Spain, the UGT’s occupational health secretary, Ana García de la Torre, points out that there were 705 deaths at work in 2021 (see press release). In a joint manifesto (see UGT and CCOO websites, and CCOO press release), launched as discussions commence on drawing up the 2022-2027 occupational health and safety plan, the two confederations explain that as business picks up again within the framework of the recovery plan, and major investments are being made in sectors experiencing high accident rates, strengthening “active public policies aimed at preventing work-related risks is one decisive step, and boosting inspection activity is another”.
According to an analysis conducted by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), a further 27,041 workplace deaths can be expected between 2020 and 2029 across all EU countries, if the pace of change continues at the same rate as during the past decade. While progress is expected in Poland, where 564 deaths are anticipated over the period in question, and the target of zero fatal workplace accidents should be reached in 2027, other countries are still a long way off achieving it. Spain is expected to see 3,191 deaths over the period 2020-2029, and worse still, the anticipated figure for France is 7,803 deaths. Neither of these two countries is expected to reach the target of zero fatal workplace accidents in 2030, according to the ETUI. Nevertheless, in a resolution dated 17 December 2020, the European Parliament has called on Member States to commit to eliminating work-related deaths and reducing work-related illnesses by 2030. Even so, in the strategy on health and safety at work 2021-2027 it put forward six months later (see Framework Directive on Health and Safety), the Commission merely states that “All efforts must be deployed to reduce work-related deaths as much as possible”.
Despite adopting the concept of “Vision Zero”, developed by the International Social Security Association (ISSA), it has not set any deadlines for meeting this target. The ETUC believes the target is set too low, and “a concerted joined-up effort” needs to be made, to:
1/ "Prevent workplace accidents and occupational diseases, stopping exposure to hazardous including cancer-causing substances and be ready for pandemic.
2/ Make physical and mental health of workers the point of departure when organizing work and designing the workplace.”
In a report published on 28 April (see 5. Studies and reports), the ILO emphasises that health and safety should also become a matter for social dialogue. The Fondazione Studi Consulenti del Lavoro in Italy emphasises that the pandemic has raised employers’ and employees’ awareness of workplace health and safety issues, so now is probably the right time to place this topic at the heart of social dialogue.
The target of zero accidents has been advocated for years now within large corporations, often with the involvement of European Works Councils – an actor who should definitely be mobilised!
(Article published in IR Notes 185 – 4 May 2022)