Unions push for measures to prevent accidents at work

The social partners and public institutions in Portugal took the opportunity presented by World Day for Safety and Health at Work –28 April 2006 – to highlight the crucial role of risk prevention in overcoming the high levels of accidents at work and occupational diseases observable in Portugal. Trade union confederations have emphasised the urgency of implementing preventive measures, as set out in the tripartite agreement on working conditions that was signed by the social partners in February 2001.

The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) World Day for Safety and Health at Work has taken place on 28 April every year since 2001. In Portugal, this date has been officially adopted as the national day for promoting the prevention of work-related accidents and encouraging safety at work. This year, public institutions as well as the social partners sought to highlight the importance of risk prevention in attempting to overcome the high level of occupational accidents and diseases observed in Portugal in recent years.

Promoting safety at work

The Institute for Safety, Hygiene and Health at Work (Instituto para a Segurança, Higiene e Saúde no Trabalho, ISHST) launched a national campaign that included media advertising and seminars and forums designed to raise awareness of the subject of work safety. In addition, the institute organised an event at which it presented an award for best practice, ‘Better prevention, better working life 2006’ (Prevenir mais viver melhor no trabalho 2006), to the winning enterprise. The ISHST also organised a ceremony in the parliament officiated by the Minister for Labour and Social Solidarity.

In recent times, trade union confederations have been drawing attention to the high level of accidents at work in Portugal, while also emphasising the urgent need to implement the tripartite agreement signed by the social partners in February 2001 (PT0102135F). The trade unions have criticised the government for the delays in implementing measures of good practice stipulated in the tripartite agreement, which aimed at improving working conditions, health and safety at the workplace and preventing accidents at work.

High level of work accidents

According to the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (Confederação Geral dos Trabalhadores Portugueses, CGTP), more then two million accidents at work in Portugal occurred during the last decade; as a result, some 7,500 lives were lost and many other people were permanently incapacitated. The ILO estimates that a total of 3,000 workers die each year in Portugal as a result of accidents at work and occupational diseases.

According to CGTP, this tragic situation is a direct result of the inadequate implementation of necessary protection policies, and from employers’ failure to adopt suitable safety procedures and their lack of investment in risk preventive measures. In particular, CGTP pointed to the inadequate organisation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in this respect – SMEs represent approximately 90% of all companies in Portugal and cover 80% of the workforce.

In addition, CGTP pointed out that the responsible public authorities, namely ISHST and the General Labour Inspectorate (Inspecção-Geral do Trabalho, IGT), do not have the necessary resources to deal with this growing problem and they also lack the power to regulate companies’ compliance with the law.

Union concerns

According to CGTP, several commitments by the government and the social partners in the 2001 tripartite agreement have not yet been implemented, particularly with regard to strengthening the powers of both ISHST and IGT. Furthermore, CGTP criticised the government for delaying the implementation of the national action plan for the prevention of work accidents (Plano nacional de acção para a prevenção dos acidentes de trabalho, PNAP). The PNAP was proposed as part of the 2001 tripartite agreement but was only passed by the government after some delay in July 2004. CGTP demanded a speedy implementation of the more urgent measures of the PNAP in order to reduce the level of work accidents and occupational diseases in sectors that carry higher risks.

The General Workers’ Union (União Geral dos Trabalhadores, UGT) published a manifesto expressing its concerns and demands regarding work accidents and occupational diseases. The document noted that the recent marginal decrease in accidents at work in Portugal is more the result of an economic slowdown and a rise in unemployment than the result of active prevention measures. The manifesto stipulates that the human, economic and financial resources of the IGT have been weakened instead of being reinforced and that the preventive structures in the ISHST have been ‘virtually paralysed’. Moreover, UGT claims that there has been relatively slow progress in the certification of companies and specialised staff in the area of health and safety.

UGT classified 2006 as a ‘dark year’ regarding social dialogue on health and safety at work. The trade union noted that the National Council for Safety, Hygiene and Health at Work (Conselho Nacional para a Segurança Higiene e Saúde no Trabalho, CNSHST) met only once during the last year. In addition, there were no formal meetings between ISHST and the social partners because the relevant framework law had not yet been passed. UGT also criticised the Portuguese government for failing to follow international debate regarding the problems of work accidents and occupational diseases. Finally, UGT expressed their dissatisfaction with the delays in the implementation of the 2001 tripartite agreement and of the PNAP.

Maria da Paz Campos Lima and Reinhard Naumann, Dinâmia