The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions

• Condemns the fact that over two million women and men die each year as a result of occupational accidents and work-related diseases, an average of more than 5,000 people every single day. Across the globe, there are some 270 million occupational accidents annually and 160 million workers suffer from occupational diseases. The cost amounts to some 4% of gross world domestic product every year.
• Calls for action to stop the social dumping that can result from the export of work processes, machinery and chemicals or chemical products for use in workplaces of recipient countries. Increased vigilance and concerted initiatives are needed to prevent the appalling number of worker fatalities, injuries and illness that result from new and existing chemicals and products, such as asbestos and persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
• Affirms that one of the most effective measures that has been shown to reduce injury and illness is the involvement of workers and their representatives in all aspects of health and safety. The increased protection that trade unions provide constitutes a major benefit from trade union membership. The right to join a trade union confers the right to health and safety at work.
• Pledges the ICFTU to strengthen occupational health and safety for all workers, especially for vulnerable groups, and to get governments, employers and international organisations to do the same.

Trade Unions are pleased to make available their Occupational Health and Safety Profiles. These Profiles have been developed as a tool for planning actions at the workplace and national levels, world-wide.

These profiles link social, economic and labour force data on OHS. They contain 4 sectors:

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY issues, along with country progress relative to key Instruments and Measures,

Workplace fatality is highlighted as a key indicator for sustainable development.

EMPLOYMENT TRANSITION, along with globalisation and human development indicators,

Country is ranked according to Labour Market Security.

REPRESENTATION SECURITY, along with Trade Unions rigths,

Country is ranked according to a Representation and Voice Security index.

ENTERPRISE TARGETS OR MODELS