The Parliament ratified the International Labor Organization Convention No. 161 concerning Occupational Health Services

It is a victory for the trade unions

The Legislature on March 4, 2021 approved in the final reading the draft law for the ratification of the ILO Occupational Health Services Convention No. 161.

The National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova, in order to increase the socio-economic labor rights and guarantees of employees, has insisted for many years on the ratification of the above-mentioned Convention.

The ILO Convention No. 161/1985 is the basic document on the development and organization of basic occupational health services for employees in various branches of the national economy.

At the present stage, when most of the companies are small and medium-sized, without medical services, the health of the employees who are working under unfavorable conditions is less monitored by doctors, for this reason, it is welcomed to create an occupational health service.

The importance of the Convention lies in the mechanism for identifying and assessing the risks of worker’s exposure to the workplace; monitoring environmental factors and production operations that could affect their health; participates in the development of programs to improve practices and exchange information in the field; health surveillance of employees.

The measures taken must be appropriate to the specific risks of undertakings. The provision of qualitative occupational health services is one of the core concerns of the ILO.

In order to ensure the implementation of these practices at national and company level, the ILO Member States are encouraged to adopt comprehensive national policies on occupational health services, in accordance with the provisions of the Convention No. 161.

By ratifying the Convention, each State recognizes the relevance of international standards in the field of occupational health services and undertakes to formulate, implement and regularly review a coherent national policy in this direction.

An important principle of the ILO Convention No. 161/1985 is that services must not cause any costs to the workers involved. The order of ideas according to the Law on Safety and Health at Work No. 186/2008, contains obligations for the employer and workers’ rights with regard to occupational health.

In accordance with the provisions of Article 47 of the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova, the State is obliged to take measures to ensure that any person has a decent standard of living, that is to ensure his health and well-being, medical care, as well as the necessary social services.

ILO Convention No. 161 obliges the Member States to gradually develop occupational health services for all workers, both for those employed in the private sector and those employed in the public sector, in all branches of the national economy.

The CNSM considers that the creation and implementation of the Occupational Health Service will contribute to improving the medical and health care of employees, working conditions, the health of employees, to the accurate detection of occupational diseases, morbidity with temporary incapacity for work, trauma in the workplace and therefore contribute to increasing the health of the population.

Elena CARCHILAN, head of the Labor Inspectorate of Trade Unions

Photo source: www.msmps.gov.md