Date: 19/05/2003
Source: Department of Labour
Title: Mdladlana: World Day for Safety and Health at Work
STATEMENT BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF LABOUR, MEMBATHISI MDLADLANA, ON THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION's WORLD DAY FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK, 19 May 2003
Honourable guests,
Representatives of organised labour, organised business and community leaders I greet you all.
Today we are gathered on this historic occasion to commemorate the World Day for Health and Safety at Work. This commemoration takes place at the time when some people ask the question - is the world becoming a safe place to live in? This cannot be regarded as an idle question, for it is prompted by the most discomforting events that continue to squander the lives of the innocent with impunity. In the 1980s at the height of the Cold War and unbridled arms race the then leader of the World Peace Council - Romesh Chandra - asked a question: mothers of children do you want war? Indeed a similar question should be asked: employers and workers of the world do you want deaths and misery brought about by avoidable occupational health and safety (OHS) incidents? In the same way that we could not postpone an answer to Romesh Chandra, we cannot avoid coming up with well-thought answers to the OHS challenges confronting us today.
According to ILO estimates each year -
* Two million workers worldwide die from work-related accidents and diseases
* More than 160 million workers worldwide fall ill due to workplace hazards
* The poorest and the least protected - often women, children and migrants - are among the most affected
* Micro and small enterprises account for over 90 per cent of enterprises where conditions are often very poor and the workers therein are often excluded from all labour protection.
If this in not a cause for concern, then indeed we are on the verge of total doom. The situation in our country is not different, whether estimates tell us that -
* About 1 334 South African workers die from work-related accidents and diseases each year. This means that more than 100 workers die every month of the year; and
* The majority of these accidents and diseases happen to workers in the fisheries, transport, building/construction and mining sectors.
Among the reasons identified for these accidents and diseases are:
* Unsafe workplaces
* Employers and workers not committed to health and safety
* Lack of knowledge of the risks and hazards in the workplace
* Exposing untrained workers to unfamiliar substances and equipment
* Lack of co-regulations or sharing of responsibility for health and safety in the workplace.
What is the Department of Labour doing to diminish this carnage?
INVOLVING STAKEHOLDERS
My Department realises that wielding the legislative stick in isolation of more active co-operation and partnership with the stakeholders and employers will not rid the workplace of this terrible carnage. Workers and employers too have to play their part and show their commitment. International experience has shown (as well as the approach adopted by the International Labour Organisation) that improvements in the field of occupational health and safety can only be made and sustained over time if all the stakeholders are involved in decision making relating to health and safety in the workplace.
Central to this is the effective functioning of health and safety committees in the workplace. The importance of health and safety representatives is therefore, critical, as they have to interface with employers and ensure that they are complying with the law. Let us spare no effort to create these structures at the workplace. The importance of health and safety representatives cannot be overemphasised. After all, there are two important entities in the health and safety arena - those who carry out hazardous work (the employers) and those who are engaged in these tasks (the workers).
The Department of Labour has shown its commitment to involve stakeholders by-
* Drafting legislation in consultation with the social partners, and other interested parties, which has to be implemented by both employers and workers and that, is in line with international norms. If workers and employers are not committed to improving the health and safety conditions in the workplace, do not understand the importance of health and safety in the production process or if employers are not convinced of the benefits of investing in health and safety, then the battle to achieve safe and healthy workplaces will be lost.
* Signing of the Occupational Health and Safety Accord on 8 April 2002 by the representatives of organised labour and organised business represented by Cosatu, Nactu, and Fedusa, the three main trade union federations and, Business-SA and Nafcoc on the business side. The signing of this historic accord offered employers and workers, through their organisations, an opportunity to express their commitment to working together to improve health and safety in the workplace. It also provides them with the opportunity to be part of the Department's new and expanded intervention tools of partnership, outreach and training. This is in line with the provisions of our Occupational Health and Safety Act, which place a responsibility on both employers and workers for health and safety.
ZERO TOLERANCE FOR NON-COMPLIANCE
Ladies and gentlemen, the year 2002 in the field of OHS saw unprecedented levels of inspector visibility and rising OHS awareness. During this year inspections increased by 69% which put inspections at the total of 88 000. These inspections included blitz inspections where our social partners were sometimes involved. Indeed our tripartite co-operation is beginning to bear fruit.
Our vision is to aggressively purse a high visibility while we adopt zero tolerance for those who are hell bent on undermining the world embraced concept of decent work and thus flout the law with impunity. It remains the duty of us all as social partners to ensure that we uphold safety and health as crucial a part of human rights.
Conclusion
The health and safety of a nation, and particularly the health of its workplace, is crucial for economic development and therefore, the health and safety of workers should be adequately provided for when economic activities are considered.
Work should not make people ill, nor should people go there to die. The Constitution affords everyone the right to a healthy environment; hence workers have an inalienable right to a decent work. This basic need is as important as it ever was because the health risks to which workers are exposed are ever increasing.
The Department cannot do it alone. This has been recognised by all parties who are now taking up their rightful place and ensuring that they too play their part in order that we win the battle.
I take this opportunity to salute the leaders of the ILO for adopting this farsighted resolution to commemorate this day. I have no doubt in my mind it will go a long way in strengthening the bond of co-operation among social partners and enhance tripartism the world over.
Once more I call upon organised labour and organised business together with government represented by my Department to act together and uphold the slogan "OHS is our business" as adopted by the social partners. Acting otherwise is a short route to render our OHS Accord pale and dry and this is the luxury we cannot afford.
Thank you.
Issued by Chief Directorate of Communication, Department of Labour
Enquiries: Dr Snuki Zikalala on 082 809 3195
19 May 2003
Source: Department of Labour (http://www.labour.gov.za)
Source: Department of Labour
Title: Mdladlana: World Day for Safety and Health at Work
STATEMENT BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF LABOUR, MEMBATHISI MDLADLANA, ON THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION's WORLD DAY FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK, 19 May 2003
Honourable guests,
Representatives of organised labour, organised business and community leaders I greet you all.
Today we are gathered on this historic occasion to commemorate the World Day for Health and Safety at Work. This commemoration takes place at the time when some people ask the question - is the world becoming a safe place to live in? This cannot be regarded as an idle question, for it is prompted by the most discomforting events that continue to squander the lives of the innocent with impunity. In the 1980s at the height of the Cold War and unbridled arms race the then leader of the World Peace Council - Romesh Chandra - asked a question: mothers of children do you want war? Indeed a similar question should be asked: employers and workers of the world do you want deaths and misery brought about by avoidable occupational health and safety (OHS) incidents? In the same way that we could not postpone an answer to Romesh Chandra, we cannot avoid coming up with well-thought answers to the OHS challenges confronting us today.
According to ILO estimates each year -
* Two million workers worldwide die from work-related accidents and diseases
* More than 160 million workers worldwide fall ill due to workplace hazards
* The poorest and the least protected - often women, children and migrants - are among the most affected
* Micro and small enterprises account for over 90 per cent of enterprises where conditions are often very poor and the workers therein are often excluded from all labour protection.
If this in not a cause for concern, then indeed we are on the verge of total doom. The situation in our country is not different, whether estimates tell us that -
* About 1 334 South African workers die from work-related accidents and diseases each year. This means that more than 100 workers die every month of the year; and
* The majority of these accidents and diseases happen to workers in the fisheries, transport, building/construction and mining sectors.
Among the reasons identified for these accidents and diseases are:
* Unsafe workplaces
* Employers and workers not committed to health and safety
* Lack of knowledge of the risks and hazards in the workplace
* Exposing untrained workers to unfamiliar substances and equipment
* Lack of co-regulations or sharing of responsibility for health and safety in the workplace.
What is the Department of Labour doing to diminish this carnage?
INVOLVING STAKEHOLDERS
My Department realises that wielding the legislative stick in isolation of more active co-operation and partnership with the stakeholders and employers will not rid the workplace of this terrible carnage. Workers and employers too have to play their part and show their commitment. International experience has shown (as well as the approach adopted by the International Labour Organisation) that improvements in the field of occupational health and safety can only be made and sustained over time if all the stakeholders are involved in decision making relating to health and safety in the workplace.
Central to this is the effective functioning of health and safety committees in the workplace. The importance of health and safety representatives is therefore, critical, as they have to interface with employers and ensure that they are complying with the law. Let us spare no effort to create these structures at the workplace. The importance of health and safety representatives cannot be overemphasised. After all, there are two important entities in the health and safety arena - those who carry out hazardous work (the employers) and those who are engaged in these tasks (the workers).
The Department of Labour has shown its commitment to involve stakeholders by-
* Drafting legislation in consultation with the social partners, and other interested parties, which has to be implemented by both employers and workers and that, is in line with international norms. If workers and employers are not committed to improving the health and safety conditions in the workplace, do not understand the importance of health and safety in the production process or if employers are not convinced of the benefits of investing in health and safety, then the battle to achieve safe and healthy workplaces will be lost.
* Signing of the Occupational Health and Safety Accord on 8 April 2002 by the representatives of organised labour and organised business represented by Cosatu, Nactu, and Fedusa, the three main trade union federations and, Business-SA and Nafcoc on the business side. The signing of this historic accord offered employers and workers, through their organisations, an opportunity to express their commitment to working together to improve health and safety in the workplace. It also provides them with the opportunity to be part of the Department's new and expanded intervention tools of partnership, outreach and training. This is in line with the provisions of our Occupational Health and Safety Act, which place a responsibility on both employers and workers for health and safety.
ZERO TOLERANCE FOR NON-COMPLIANCE
Ladies and gentlemen, the year 2002 in the field of OHS saw unprecedented levels of inspector visibility and rising OHS awareness. During this year inspections increased by 69% which put inspections at the total of 88 000. These inspections included blitz inspections where our social partners were sometimes involved. Indeed our tripartite co-operation is beginning to bear fruit.
Our vision is to aggressively purse a high visibility while we adopt zero tolerance for those who are hell bent on undermining the world embraced concept of decent work and thus flout the law with impunity. It remains the duty of us all as social partners to ensure that we uphold safety and health as crucial a part of human rights.
Conclusion
The health and safety of a nation, and particularly the health of its workplace, is crucial for economic development and therefore, the health and safety of workers should be adequately provided for when economic activities are considered.
Work should not make people ill, nor should people go there to die. The Constitution affords everyone the right to a healthy environment; hence workers have an inalienable right to a decent work. This basic need is as important as it ever was because the health risks to which workers are exposed are ever increasing.
The Department cannot do it alone. This has been recognised by all parties who are now taking up their rightful place and ensuring that they too play their part in order that we win the battle.
I take this opportunity to salute the leaders of the ILO for adopting this farsighted resolution to commemorate this day. I have no doubt in my mind it will go a long way in strengthening the bond of co-operation among social partners and enhance tripartism the world over.
Once more I call upon organised labour and organised business together with government represented by my Department to act together and uphold the slogan "OHS is our business" as adopted by the social partners. Acting otherwise is a short route to render our OHS Accord pale and dry and this is the luxury we cannot afford.
Thank you.
Issued by Chief Directorate of Communication, Department of Labour
Enquiries: Dr Snuki Zikalala on 082 809 3195
19 May 2003
Source: Department of Labour (http://www.labour.gov.za)
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