Results and Outcomes on Occupational Safety and Health within the framework of the SSOS Project: Union Strategy on Occupational Health for the Americas (ESSLA in Spanish) The ILO and Occupational Safety and Health It is the field of working conditions and their impact on the health and safety of workers, an ideal space for dialogue and working together, making, therefore, the action of employers and workers essential both in collectie bargaining in workplaces for the practical implementation of an effectie preention management focussed on a rights based approach and using social dialogue to jointly define the elements of the preentatie system. The coordination of public policies on Occupational Safety and Health is essential in creating institutional sustainability and an appropriate framework to achiee the goals that hae been set in a tripartite manner for each country. Efforts made by the ILO and its constituents in recent years to deelop a holistic and integrated approach to this fundamental issue of Occupational Safety and Health at Work (OSH) culminated in the adoption by the ILO Goerning Body at its 307th Session (March 2010) of an Action Plan for achieing widespread ratification and effectie implementation of the three OSH instruments (Conention No. 155, its 2002 Protocol and Conention No. 187). This Action Plan builds on the 2003 Global Strategy on OSH, the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Conention, 2006 (No. 187) and the 2009 General Surey on Occupational Safety and Health. A good number of Decent Work Country Programmes, and other tripartite agreements, include Occupational Safety and Health as a core issue (e.g.: Argentina, Costa Rica, Honduras, Chile, Nicaragua, Panama, Uruguay, the Dominican Republic, among others). As part of this work, ACTRAV, using the SSOS Project as a tool, has been supporting the priorities identified at regional leel by the TUCA (Trade Union Confederation of the Americas), culminating in a process of collectie construction of a Labour Platform for the Americas on Occupational Safety and Health, launched in 2008 (Panama). This has ensured that subregional and regional actiities (Buenos Aires, Panama, Monteideo) and distance learning courses hae been held in 2011 to help define the main areas of focus for union action on occupational safety and health, taking as a reference the initiatie of the 2009 Conference of Ministers of Labour of Latin America to approe a Regional Strategy on OSH. The aim is to promote Occupational Safety and Health policies agreed upon in the 2006 "Declaration on Occupational Safety and Health" and the ILO's Hemispheric Agenda for Latin America adopted by Member States of the Organization.
USOHA (ESSLA in Spanish) a tool for technical and political action for the labour moement of the Americas on occupational health During its four year existence, the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA), ia the Secretary for Social Policies, within the framework of the ACTRAV Project on Social Security for Trade Union Organizations (SSOS in Spanish), has been working in a participatie manner together with 29 affiliated national centres, Spanish trade unions (CCOO and UGT). The Union Strategy on Occupational Health for the Americas (USOHA) is a tool which acts as a reference for union action in the region when defending healthy and safe workplaces; a collectie construction process which has seen collaboration with the Conention between ISCOD (Spanish Union Institute for Deelopment Cooperation), AECID (Spanish International Cooperation Agency), and the TUCA and ISTAS (Spanish Union Institute of Work, Enironment and Health). Background CSA TUCA first Program of Action, which was adopted by the Founding Congress in March 2008, states that occupational health is the cornerstone of sustainable deelopment and, therefore,... "it must be achieed in a suitable working enironment, with fair working conditions, where workers are able to perform an actiity with dignity and, where their participation is possible in a way that improes their health and security of the workplace". Also within the CSA TUCA, the Social Security Platform for the Americas (PLACOSS in Spanish) (adopted by the Executie Board of the CSA TUCA in April 2010), defined with the support of the SSOS Project along with Spanish trade union cooperation, "argues that occupational health is one of the social determinants in relation to health inequality, therefore, Occupational Safety and Health should be recognized as an area of special attention within the context of Social Protection". Meanwhile, in April 2008, the technical team of the Latin American Organization on Social Security (OISS in Spanish) prepared a first draft on a possible: "Latin American Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health" which would establish a general framework for deeloping occupational health policies in the medium and long term, and address specific objecties by establishing different leels of interention according to the degree of deeloment of each country. The process Considering, therefore, the mandate of the CSA TUCA Program of Action and the opportunity aailable gien negotiations on a Latin American Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health, the first step in building a union strategy for the Americas was taken in Panama in 2008, on the initiatie of the TUCA and ACTRAV with technical and financial cooperation from the ILO ACTRAV (International Training Centre in Turin) within the context of the Project on Social Security for Trade Unions SSOS Project, funded by the Spanish Goernment, and the ISCOD AECID TUCA Conention and technical input from ISTAS. Thanks to this actiity, the first draft, which four years later would culminate in the Union Strategy on Occupational Health for the Americas, was prepared.
These first union documents already influenced the final outcome of the Latin American Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health (EISST in Spanish), adopted at the Summit of Latin American Heads of State and Goernment. The labour moement of the Americas and the Spanish trade unions made a key contribution, it was considered essential and necessary to coordinate union action for the implementation and monitoring of the EISST at national leel and compliance with the aboementioned ILO Action Plan. In December 2011, following the contributions of unions affiliated to the TUCA, and with the support and commitment of the main Spanish national centres, CCOO and UGT, the process was concluded with a document to be presented at the II CSA TUCA Congress in April 2012. It should be noted that this collectie construction process helped define the USOHA (ESSLA in Spanish) and, thereby, helped shape the policy on occupational health which the TUCA will work on oer the next four years, expressed in the section of the Resolution on Occupational Health of the TUCA, adopted at the II CSA TUCA Congress recently held in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil, from 17th 20th Abril 2012. In the ealuation meeting of the SSOS Project, held in Foz do Iguacu, the following were identified, in the words of the participants, as the most notable elements of the process: "The organizations took on the process, with the coordination of the TUCA which allowed greater strengthening of union action, not only in relation to demands, but also regarding specific proposals, i.e. we are more proactie. Four years on from creating the TUCA: Workplace accidents and occupational diseases, i.e. occupational health, are considered a priority for union action. It was an important process as it helped us to hae spaces to discuss the reality of safety and health issues at work, to define what the role of trade unions should be and what should be the role of the State. It has now been understood as part of the policy that the lack of social protection coerage for occupational hazards means that workers and their families remain, in the majority of cases, disadantaged economically and healthwise and that it is necessary to include clauses on occupational health in collectie bargaining. The TUCA committed to deeloping clear objecties since March 2008, so now in 2012 we hae a much more complete resolution that shows union deelopment in the technical and political areas on this issue. Another important element is the comprehensieness of TUCA's political action. PLACOSS is growing and here we recognize the following as goals prioritised in this order: o Protection and promotion of the right to life, physical integrity and the right to health as inherent rights for the preention of occupational hazards. o We demand the substantial improement of working conditions (healthy and safe workplaces) as a key goal within the context of reforming social security systems. o We recognize the key role of public policies on social security and occupational health in coordinating proposals that contribute to an increase in wellbeing at work, as well as the importance of collectie bargaining in this area. o Right to decent, healthy and safe work. One cannot think of occupational health and social protection as two separate things, the logic is that occupational health is a component of social protection".
Union Strategy on Occupational Health for the Americas (ESSLA in Spanish) General objecties: Strengthen union action on occupational health in a structured and coordinated manner. Job creation with labour rights and social protection. Tackle inequality in occupational health. Promote State policies on occupational health with tripartite consensus. Stregnthen tripartism and social dialogue on occupational health in society and at work. Strengthen, improe and adance the Culture of Preention. Increase regional cooperation and collaboration on occupational health issues. Specific objecties: Promote National Plans on occupational health Improe awareness in order to act Make the inisible isible National public institutions of inspection and control which are effectie in the enforcement of preentatie obligations More and better labour inspections Strengthen the technical bodies on occupational health Promote occupational safety and health strategies in outsourcing and subcontracting fields Bring protection in occupational safety and health to all workplaces Improe the training of those responsible for occupational health. This process of the USOHA (ESSLA in Spanish) has helped in both the deelopment of this tool as well as for the policy and action of the TUCA, which can be seen in its Program of Action on occupational health for the next four years (2012 2016), adopted at the II CSA TUCA Congress this year.
II CSA TUCA Congress The Congress, within the context of the Union Strategy on Occupational Health for the Americas (USOHA), instructs the TUCA to continue promoting the process of coordination and implementation of the Action Plan whose main guidelines are the following: Strengthen the action of TUCA and its affiliates, encouraging the creation of a union space for coordination on occupational health issues. Promote ratification of and compliance with ILO Conentions 155 and 187. Encourage compliance and implementation at both regional and national leels of the Latin American Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health (EISST in Spanish), strengthening the role of union coordination led by the TUCA and Spanish national centres, along with the OISS. Promote the strengthening of social dialogue and collectie bargaining spaces on occupational health issues. Design and deelop a trade union training plan on occupational health with the support of ILO ACTRAV and trade union technical institutes in the region and cooperation with other similar international trade union bodies. Promote the creation of information systems, registering and notifying accidents and diseases, as well as sureys on working conditions, as a basis for designing public policies and guiding priorities on preentatie measures, both at the general leel and in the workplace. Encourage union action by the affiliates ia trade union networks that allow access to greater information and thematic material through the TUCA web page, with ongoing support for putting awareness raising campaigns into action at the national leel. Support actions promoted by the TUCA regarding hazardous substances such as endosulfan and paraquat, and continue fighting for a complete global ban on the use and commercialization of asbestos. Start a systematic information and training action on the impact of nanotechnology on the health and lies of workers. This newsletter also recognizes the many union members and the experts on this subject matter who hae participated in the process and who are committed to improing the quality of life and work of workers. A special mention is gien to Dr. Carlos Aníbal Rodríguez and to our friend, Fernando Rodrigo. And especially in memory of our comrade, Ián Toro from Colombia's CTC who, from the beginning, belieed in the need that the labour moement define its own path and hae its own policy to progress in defending and promoting occupational health for all workers in the Americas. Your strength and courage has sered as encouragement for us all, and your commitment is an example for the future. We will not forget you.
Project managed by With the collaboration of Funded by With the participation of 34 National Centres, in 16 target countries of the project, as well as the Spanish national centres, CCOO and UGT, and 3 technical institutes in the region (ILA ISACC and ISTAS) 1. Argentina (CGT, CTA) 2. Brazil CUT, 3. Chile (CUT, CAT), 4. Colombia (CUT, CTC, CGT) 5. Costa Rica (CUSIMA, CTRN y CSJMP) 6. Ecuador (CSE) 7. El Salador (CTD) 8. Guatemala (UNSITRAGUA, CUSG) 9. Honduras (CUTH, CTH, CGTH) 10. Nicaragua: CST 11. Panama (CS, CGTP y CTRP) 12. Paraguay (CUTA, CNT) 13. Peru (CGTP, CUT, CAT, CTP) 14. Dominican Republic (CNUS, CNTD, CASC) 15. Uruguay (PIT CNT), 16. Venezuela: CTV y ASI 17. Spain: CCOO y UGT www.oit.org.pe/ssos