Constitutional rights of employees to fair and satisfactory working conditions are compromised

This is one of the main conclusions contained in the informative note on the state of health and safety at work in the first semester of this year, which was presented at the meeting of the Confederal Committee of the CNSM by Elena Carchilan, head of the Labour Inspectorate of the Trade Unions.

According to her, during the reference period, the inspectors of the Labour Inspectorate of the Trade Unions carried out 297 visits to verify the compliance with the legislation and other normative acts in the field of work, safety and health at work in several entities, where there are more than 26 thousand employees, of which almost 24 thousand trade union members. As a result, over 5,500 violations and deviations from the provisions of legislative and normative acts in the field of labour were detected, out of which 4525 cases relate to occupational safety and health and 945 concern the field of work. Almost 80 infringements and offenses relate to non-compliance with collective labour agreements and trade union rights.

In the opinion of Elena Carchilan, there is now a situation of regress and aggravation in the field of occupational safety and health, in which the constitutional rights of the employees to a fair and satisfactory working conditions, the protection of life, health, physical integrity and mental health of workers are compromised.

According to her, the explanation is that after the 27 October 2017, after the adoption of the new legislative amendments was limited to the control function of the Labour Inspectorate. Thus, there is evidence of the lack of a viable mechanism for coordinating actions and measures in the field of occupational safety with regard to inspection work in the field of safety and health at work. As a result, from October 27, last year and up to June 18, current, only one fatal work accident file was drawn up, drafted and sent to the competent bodies, which took place at the beginning of this year at LTD “Combinatul de Pâine din Bălți”, attended also by the labour inspector of the Labour Inspectorate of the Trade Unions.

While 194 accidents were reported to the State Labour Inspectorate, 27 of which resulted in the death of 31 people, indicating a worrying situation resulting from systematic violations of health and safety requirements at work. Elena Carchilan highlighted in this context that from 13 labour accidents suffered trade union members, meaning 15 of them died, and another 4 were seriously injured. Towards the end of the first semester of this year, the Labour Inspectorate of Trade Unions researched 12 labour accidents.

Elena Carchilan specified that the CNSM has repeatedly addressed at different levels the problems related to the field of occupational safety and health and violation of the constitutional right of employees to work protection. Steps have been taken in this respect to the Government and Parliament, the subject has been discussed within the tripartite commission.

Department of mass media and international relations of CNSM