EU improves health and safety in Denmark - counter to common belief
Publikováno: 27 March 1998
According to a February 1998 public opinion poll by the Gallup institute, 45% of respondents do not believe that the European Union (EU) has improved health and safety in Denmark or wil do so. However, an analysis conducted by the Confederation of Danish Trade Unions (Landsorganisationen i Danmark, LO) indicates that this mistrust is unfounded: 37 Directives - out of a total of 72 relevant Directives since 1990 - have improved health and safety rules in Denmark. Only six Directives have had negative implications for the Danish rules in this area. LO believes that future EU health and safety legislation passed under the new Amsterdam Treaty [1] (EU9707135F [2]) will be minimum Directives, which will make it easier for Member States, if necessary, to maintain national rules, which may provide for a higher level of protection. According to LO, EU regulation in this area is important if Danish jobs are to be protected against "social dumping" and competition in the area of health and safety.[1] http://europa.eu.int/abc/obj/amst/en/index.htm[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/amsterdam-treaty-brings-small-advances-for-employment-and-social-policy
A February 1998 survey reveals that many Danes do not believe that the EU has improved health and safety rules in Denmark, or will do so. An analysis conducted by LO trade union confederation indicates that this mistrust is unfounded.
According to a February 1998 public opinion poll by the Gallup institute, 45% of respondents do not believe that the European Union (EU) has improved health and safety in Denmark or wil do so. However, an analysis conducted by the Confederation of Danish Trade Unions (Landsorganisationen i Danmark, LO) indicates that this mistrust is unfounded: 37 Directives - out of a total of 72 relevant Directives since 1990 - have improved health and safety rules in Denmark. Only six Directives have had negative implications for the Danish rules in this area. LO believes that future EU health and safety legislation passed under the new Amsterdam Treaty (EU9707135F) will be minimum Directives, which will make it easier for Member States, if necessary, to maintain national rules, which may provide for a higher level of protection. According to LO, EU regulation in this area is important if Danish jobs are to be protected against "social dumping" and competition in the area of health and safety.
A report published by the Labour Inspectorate in April 1997 showed a 22% increase in industrial accidents from 1993-5. The report gave rise to a heated debate on how to improve compliance with Danish health and safety rules and how to diminish the number of industrial accidents at workplaces (DK9704107F, DK9705111N).
According toEurostat (Population and social conditions, 1992/2), 5 million industrial accidents occurred yearly in the EU in the early 1990s, and the frequency of these accidents was geographically unbalanced. Portugal had the highest frequency of industrial accidents in the EU, followed by Luxembourg, Spain and France. The UK, Ireland, Sweden and Denmark had the lowest frequency of accidents. However the latest figures from Eurostat (Population and social conditions, 1997/2 and 1998/2) shows that the trends in the number of industrial accidents per 100,000 employed people in EU countries are converging. The most hazardous workplaces are found in the building and construction sector, which has twice as many accidents as other industries.
Eurofound doporučuje citovat tuto publikaci následujícím způsobem.
Eurofound (1998), EU improves health and safety in Denmark - counter to common belief, article.
