The head of ILO calls for the creation of a global coalition for better labor protection

Every year, the work-related injuries and illnesses kill 2.78 million workers globally. The latest assessments suggest that occupational diseases cost annually 2.99 trillion dollars, or 3.94 percent of global GDP.

“The global economic impact of the failure to adequately invest in occupational safety and health is roughly equal to the total GDP of the poorest 130 countries in the world,” said Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) at the 21st World Congress in the field of labour protection recently held in Singapore.

The figures announced today were developed by Finland, Singapore, the EU and the International Commission on Occupational Health, with the support of ILO.

According to Guy Ryder, this data offers more and more reasons to talk about lack of proper attention on labour protection issues, as well as the importance of work protection for sustainable development. The Director-General of ILO emphasized the willingness of the organization he is leading to participate in creating together with his main partners, a global coalition to solve these issues.

In order to increase worker’ safety, ILO representatives insist on identifying clear and objective mechanisms that would allow public access to relevant data on health at work, work conditions  in enterprises, the implementation of global policies for data sharing, knowledge and experience in the field of labour protection, elaboration of strategies for ensuring compliance with the safety standards at the workplace at national level.

ILO calls on young people around the world to play an important role in solving these problems. “The future of the workforce undoubtedly depends on the efforts of today’s young people, which can help overcome these problems, but  we need for this to see more involvement from young people in these processes,” said Guy Ryder, addressing to the participants at the Congress.

Youth and OSH is a key theme at the XXI World Congress and central to ILO’s flagship Occupational Safety and Health-Global Action for Prevention Programme. “Forty million youth are entering the labour market this year and they are the best-educated generation the world has ever seen. We must take advantage of this demographic dividend and unleash the potential and creativity of these young people,” said the head of the ILO.

Under the ILO project „Safe Youth at Work”, 125 young activists from 29 countries participated in the Youth Congress, which took place parallel to World Congress. The Youth Congress, entitled Safe Youth at Work, aims to form a movement of young labour protection supporters to deal with the significant labour protection issues that young workers around the world face.