Trade unions beat the alarm: Abolition of control institutions will endanger the lives and health of employees

Trade unionists do not agree with reforming the institutions of control in the country by reducing their number. According to the amendments to Law no. 131 on state control over business activity, approved by the Government at its last meeting, from 33 of the currently existing control institutions will remain only 11, and five independent regulators. Under these changes fall the State Labour Inspectorate.

At the meeting on June 16 of the National Commission for Consultations and Collective Bargaining (NCCCB), Oleg Budza, president of the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova (CNSM), expressed concern that in case of dissolution of the State Labour Inspectorate the control on compliance to health and safety norms in enterprises will be compromised. “We ask ourselves, how will we prevent serious accidents and fatalities if this control structure will be dissolved? Human health should be a priority for all, and we, as representatives of the employees cannot accept endangering their life and health,” stressed Budza.

The trade union leader mentioned that the creation of the State Labour Inspectorate was conditioned by Moldova’s accession to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the UN tripartite structure therefore being ratified the ILO Convention nr.81 on Labour Inspection. “By ratifying the convention, the Republic of Moldova, as a member of the ILO, undertook to establish under national law a system of labour inspection, in this regard being adopted the Law on State Labour Inspectorate. Thus, all these changes are contrary to international standards “, he added.

In response, Deputy Prime Minister Octavian Calmîc, Minister of Economy and Chairman NCCCB said that this issue will be discussed separately in the next meeting of the tripartite committee.

One of the issues on the agenda of the meeting, discussed by the members of NCCCB was examining the way of enforcement of occupational health and safety and accident prevention work in the years 2014-2016.

According to State Labour Inspectorate, due to security shortcomings annually it was recorded more than 400 injured coming from workplace accidents.

“Most often, deficiencies are related to the lack of protection and prevention strategies at the unit level; admission to work of people without professional training and without training in OSH; work performed under conditions of risk, without applying protective and preventive measures; application of outdated and dangerous technologies, the failure to certify employment, evaluation of working conditions and occupational risks,” said Dumitru Stavila, head of the State Labour Inspectorate.

Referring to this issue, president of CNSM said that risk assessment at work and allocation of the necessary resources should be made mandatory for all employers. “Only 19% of enterprises have conducted risk assessment,” he said.

However, trade unions note the need to speed the process of ratification and implementation of ILO Convention nr.161 concerning occupational health services; approval of the Sanitary Regulations on health surveillance of persons undergoing occupational risk factors and Sanitary Regulations on research and illness records, based on standards and EU Directives; elaborate methodological norms for calculating insurance contributions for work accidents and occupational diseases; modification of Act No. 186 on safety and health at work with the introduction of the obligation of the employer to establish, organize and finance the work of the OSH Committee, and speeding amendment and supplement Regulation of work accidents’ research in accordance with EU requirements and standards.

During the same meeting, social partners have examined issues on the progress of compliance to collective agreements (national level) and process of developing occupational standards and the work of sector committees.

Department of mass-media and international relations