A Win for Workers

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has adopted a landmark Convention on Biological Hazards in the Working Environment, with Unite’s Rob Miguel at the heart of negotiations. 

The 113th International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva wrapped up on June 13 with the adoption of the first-ever international labour standards aimed at preventing exposure to, and protecting workers from, biological hazards in the workplace. The ILO sees this as a landmark step in global efforts to safeguard occupational health and safety across all sectors.

Unite played a key role in shaping the outcome, with National Health and Safety Officer Rob Miguel representing trade unions and workers across the UK and submitting a response on behalf of workers, and had already achieved significant gains at last year’s ILO Convention. 

Rob was part of the Workers’ Group, who worked tirelessly throughout two intense weeks of negotiations in the Swiss city.

Rob said, “This milestone convention represents a major step forward in securing safe and healthy working environments for all, especially those most exposed to biological agents, substances or products, be it exposure to bacteria, fungus and viruses, or a worker’s allergic reactions to plants in agriculture.”

Rob went on to explain that the convention also covers pandemics, a vital inclusion following the recent COVID 19 that caused devastation to health, loss of life and financial disaster. They include the precautionary principle in the case of any new virus occurring. 

Rob added, “The new instruments establish clear obligations for governments and employers to prevent, eliminate, or where elimination is not possible, control biological hazards.”

The Workers Group fought off attempts by employers to weaken any agreed convention and new agreement on biological hazards ensures that workers, and their representatives, have the right to participate meaningfully in occupational safety and health processes and guarantee the right to refuse dangerous work and report violations without fear of retaliation.

The standards call for universal access to occupational health services, income protection during disease outbreaks, and are the first OSH instruments to consider climate and environmental factors that exacerbate exposure. 

Rob said that the agreement included a number of important first, he explained that, “they emphasise both the physical and mental well-being of work, whistleblower protection, climate and environmental impacts.

“High-risk sectors are explicitly recognised, including health, agriculture, transport and construction and forestry sectors, among others such as health care, food and agriculture, and transport.”

The next step is for unions to explain the importance of the ILO convention to members to join with other groups to push governments to ratify and implement the landmark agreement.

Rob said that “Unite and it’s thousands of reps have a vital role to play by accessing information of the agreement, gaining an understanding of the impact it will where they work and carry out workplace inspection and ensure full risk assessments are carried out.”

The Unite Health and Safety department will soon working with Unite Education to develop something so that the new Convention on biological hazards in the working environment features highly in the training that Unite reps receive.

Rob summed up the agreement to workers, saying, “This convention and accompanying recommendation are the first of its kind, not just a set of words, it is essential to workers health, life and prosperity.”

By Keith Hatch