International Labour conference takes steps to combat industrial hazards, ensure women's equality.

International Labour Conference takes steps to combat industrial hazards, ensure women's equality

Aware of growing world-wide concern over the increasing rate of work-related accidents and disease, the International Labour Conference, at its seventy-first session, took steps to reduce occupational hazards and to safeguard workers' safety and health.

This annual assembly of the International Labour Organization (ILO)--attended by a record 2,000 government, employer and worker delegates from the ILO's 141 member States--was held from 7 to 27 June 1985 in Geneva.

The Conference adopted an International Labour Convention and Recommendation to promote development of occupational health services covering all workers and called for action against risks and accidents arising from the use of dangerous substances and processes in industry.

The need for reliable labour statistics for use in planning and monitoring social and economic progress and for industrial relations led to the adoption by the Conference of a Convention and Recommendation on the subject.

The Conference also paved the way for the adoption next year of new safety standards in the use of asbestos.

The Conference also debated on the report of ILO Director-General Francis Blanchard on industrial relations and tripartism, and discussed equal opportunities and equal treatment for men and women in employment.

In other action, it adopted conclusions on action taken on the ILO Declaration concerning the policy of apartheid in South Africa; approved resolutions on the most urgent problems of Africa and on hazard prevention in connection with the use of dangerous processes and hazardous substances; reviewed the observance by member States of their obligations in respect of ILO standards; examined questions relating to the ILO's structure; and adopted the organization's programme and budget for 1986-1987.

Conference President was Mohamed Ennaceur, Tunisia's Minister of Social Affairs; Vice-Presidents were Vladimir Grekov (Government, byelorussian SSR), Charles H. Smithy, Jr. (employer, United States), and Shirley Carr (worker, Canada).

Asbestos hazards: Responding to the great concern not only of employers and workers and their organizations and health and labour authorities, but also of the general public about the harmful effects of exposure to asbestos dust, the Conference formulated a draft Convention and Recommendation for further discussion and adoption next year.

The draft Convention states that national laws should prescribe measures to be taken to prevent, control and protect workers against health hazards, such as lung diseases, lung cancer or cancer of the lining of the lungs and abdomen due to occupational exposure to asbestos.

Research into health problems related to exposure to substitute products should be encouraged; the most representative organizations of employers and workers should be consulted on measures to be taken. Exposure to asbestos should be prevented or controlled by: replacement of asbestos, prohibition of certain types of asbestos, requirements of authorization of certain work processes, and/or regulation of controlled exposure on a low level.

In all places where there is exposure to asbestos, the employer would be required to take all appropriate measures to prevent or control the release of asbestos fibres into the workplace. The proposed instrument lays down measures for treatment of contaminated clothing and disposal of waste containing asbestos, and stipulates that demolition of plants or structures containing asbestos insulation should be subject to authorization. It also requires surveillance of the working environment to determine concentration of airborne fibres and ensures that provision is made for appropriate medical examination of workers exposed to asbestos.

Equal opportunities: The Conference adopted a resolution and conclusions on equal opportunties and equal treatment for men and women in employment, advocating measures to promote the employment of women and to provide them with equal employment opportunities, irrespective of the rate of economic growth and conditions in the employment market, so as to enable them to contribute meaningfully to the economic and social development of their countries.

Noting that women are more affected by unemployment than men, the Conference recommended that the same criteria be applied to all workers in case of redundancy or dismissal, without distinction based on sex, marital status or age and that special protection be applied against dismissal on the grounds of pregnancy and maternity leave. Special programmes should meet the needs of women wishing to re-enter employment after a period of absence and those who belong to disadvantaged groups, such as migrants, refugees or the disabled.

Rural women should have as equal access as men to land, education, technology, training and extension services, credit and other resources.

The Conference reaffirmed the need to promote the full implementation of the principle of equal remuneration and to ensure that criteria for job classification and evaluation are free from sex bias.

On working conditions and environment, sectors and occupations employing large numbers of women should be given particular attention, notably to extend to women, as well as to men, special protection for types of work harmful for them, particularly from the standpoint of their social function of reproduction.

Mothers should not be disadvantaged in their occupational life, the costs of maternity protection being borne by social security or other public funds or collective arrangements.

Considering that the burden of household and family responsibilities can be an obstacle to equality of opportunity and treatment in employment, the Conference invited ILO member States to ratify the 1981 Convention on that theme and called for measures to make it easier for workers to combine home and work responsbilities.

Occupational health services: A preventive and multidisciplinary approach to occupational health services, in which employers and workers cooperate fully, is set out in a Convention and Recommendation adopted by the Conference.

Countries ratifying the Convention will undertake to develop progressively occupational health services for all workers, including those in the public sector and members of production cooperatives, in all branches of economic activity and all undertakings.

Labour statistics: Revising an earlier instrument in this field, the Convention on labour statistics will commit ratifying States regularly to collecting, compiling and publishing labour statistics, which shall be progressively expanded to cover economically active population, employment, where relevant unemployment, and where possible visible underemployment; structure and distribution of economically active population; and average earnings and hours of work.

Anti-apartheid action: The Conference reaffirmed its full commitment to the Declaration of the ILO--updated in 1981--concerning the policy of apartheid in South Africa and its programme of action, the implementation of which it said it would continue to monitor.

Taking note of the ILO Director-General's special report on developments in South Africa, the Conference urged that in future, the report should focus more on legislative or administrative action taken or not taken by the ILO's government, employer and worker constituents.

The ILO was asked to study, in particular, investment in the "homelands" and its effects on black workers, and to provide information on foreign investments and bank loans to South Africa.

The Conference repeated its recommendation to organize in 1985, under the auspices of the United Nations, an international conference on an oil embargo against South Africa.

It also urged Governments to stop loans to or investments in South Africa and to end investment guarantees, export credits and commercial operations with the so-called homelands or "Bantustans". Governments should furthermore end all contracts for the expansion of South Africa's nuclear energy programme, and take action against transporters, companies or traders which are a party to the breaking of the United Nations oil embargo.

Resolutions: In the resolution concerning urgent African problems, particularly food security, the Conference appealed to the international community, and especially the developed countries and international agencies, to increase their assistance to African countries affected by drought by allocating additional resources essential to continuing and strengthening assistance and co-operation activities, both bilateral and multilateral.

The ILO Governing Body was invited to continue and expand its activities in Africa so as to help States in the region to overcome their problems of employment, food and poverty.

The ILO was called on to make full use of all opportunities for special support to development directed at the social and economic needs of the African countries, and to increase its role in its specific fields of competence under the International Development Strategy, especiallyn employment and labour standards.

In the second resolution, the Conference expressed deep concern at the growing risks and the increasing number of serious accidents related to the use of hazardous substances and chemical products. It called on Governments of all member States to adopt, in full consultation with workers' and employers' organizations, integrated and comprehensive policies for hazard prevention in connection with the use of dangerous processes, as well as the production, transport, storage, handling and disposal of hazardous substances.

Employers and management in chemical and other hazardous industries should provide for the safest possible operating and control systems in their enterprises and, where transportation is involved, for the safest possible mode of transport. They should also, whenever possible, replace dangerous substances and processes by safer alternatives and provide to all workers in the enterprise the necessary training, information and instructions as well as equipment required for the protection of health.

The ILO should make every effort to give maximum assistance to member States for establishing and strengthening national infrastructures and institutions in this field, devote adequate attention and resources to its participation in the International Programme on Chemical Safety carried out jointly with the World Health Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme, and examine the possibility of including as a matter of priority in the future the question of hazard control and accident prevention related to the use of hazardous substances and processes in industry.