Presidency conference on "Working Conditions of Tomorrow" - Changing trends in health and safety discussed by experts and social partners
Lydia Mutsch, minister of Health, on 10 septembre 2015
On 10 and 11 September 2015, the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the EU hosted a conference in Mondorf-les-Bains on "Working Conditions of Tomorrow". Bringing together experts, decision-makers and social partners from the EU, the conference was dedicated to two European social pillars: health and safety at work, and, more generally, working conditions.
In her opening speech, Luxembourg's Minister for Health, Lydia Mutsch, stressed the importance of discussing working conditions of tomorrow within the context of "new forms of employment" and "growing mobility". She mentioned "that the broadening of the European social dimension" is "high on the list" of the Luxembourg Presidency's priorities. She explained that health at work is an area wherein Europe has been "a major proponent".
Lydia Mutsch cited "painful or tiring physical positions, stress at work, lumbago, musculoskeletal problems" and "higher accident rates for precarious workers", indicating that every year, in Europe, there are 168,000 deaths from accidents in the workplace or as a result of occupational diseases. The Minister expressed regret that "the financial cost of these breaches has reached 5.9% of the EU's GDP".
Through its many multi-year programmes and strategic frameworks in the area of health and safety at work (2002-2006, and 2007-2012), the EU has "strengthened national policies of the Member States" and "contributed to a preventative culture in companies".
Lydia Mutsch went on to list certain factors that can "pose problems", such as "changing trends in the working environment and new technologies", as well as the "restructuring and transformation" of work, which have made notions of "work stations and work places purposeless". She also touched on the increasing inequalities in the area of health and working conditions in so-called "precarious" jobs.
Health and safety at work
Jesús Alvarez Hidalgo, Deputy Head of Unit for Health, Safety and Hygiene at Work within the European Commission's DG Employment, explained that in its new strategic framework on health and safety at work for the period 2014-2020, the European Commission will be concentrating on three main challenges: improving implementation in small and medium businesses, improving health at work and the prevention of occupational diseases, as well as the promotion of healthy working conditions for workers.
"In order to manage these challenges, the EU has adopted numerous instruments and has identified strategic objectives", he explained, adding that a tripartite consultative committee for health and safety at work is responsible for the practical implemention of the strategic framework. This will be done by supporting the "important" work of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). He welcomed the work of the Italian and Latvian Presidencies and was pleased that the Luxembourg Presidency intends to push through the adoption of conclusions in the area of working conditions at the EPSCO Council, in October 2015.
Regarding the EU's Regulatory Fitness and Performance programme (REFIT), Jesús Alvarez Hidalgo stressed the need to analyse the legislation "in practical terms" to "help SMEs with the administrative burdens that they face".
Christa Sadletschek, Director of EU-OSHA, indicated that the agency that she heads is trying "to bring together the 28 different national systems" in the area of health to adopt "a common approach" and to be able to collect information in the same way. In her view, national legislation has "a strong influence" on health and safety at work.
Georges Bach, member of the European Parliament, on 10 september 2015
The MEP Georges Bach, shadow rapporteur for the EPP on the European Parliament's report on the new strategic framework 2014-2020, emphasised the importance of adapting the directive setting limits for carcinogenic substances and taking into account the risks linked to asbestos. As for REFIT, he indicated that this should not lead to a weakened level of worker protection. He also expressed his wish that a "coherent policy" be put in place for commuting accidents.
"The better the health of workers and the safer the workplace is, the more productive businesses will be, and the competitiveness of countries' economies will increase accordingly", stressed Carlos Manuel Trindademember of the European Economic and Social Committee's Workers' Group.
For Christina Sode Haslund from Business Europe, the objectives of worker protection must be "feasible", taking into account workers' and employers' interests, and respecting the criterion of proportionality. She does not believe that legislation will solve problems linked to psychosocial risks and musculoskeletal disorders. "A preventative approach must be developed that focuses on local culture, and practical solutions must be found for each sector of activity", she said.
Marco Boly, Deputy Head of Luxembourg's Labour and Mines Inspectorate, insisted that legislation needs to be open to checks on the ground by inspectors.
Working conditions
Frédéric Lapeyre, Head of the Informal Economy Unit at ILO, outlined the risks arising from the informal or underground economy with respect to working conditions. "In the EU27, an average of nearly 18% of GDP is linked to the underground economy", he explained. In this context, "an integrated strategy" has to be developed which combines "interventions in terms of detection, preventative and remedial policies".
With regard to the construction sector, Maxime Verhagen, Vice-President of the European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC), pointed to the difficulties of checking and implementing legislation, owing to the high mobility of labour. He also highlighted the differences in the legislation of EU Member States, which means that working conditions are not equal across the EU. This is because, according to him, the Posting of Workers Directive must be brought up to date to allow, for example, "the payment of social security in the country where the work is undertaken".
Werner Buelen, Political Secretary of the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW), believes that a "common identification system for social security for all workers" must be implemented in the EU.
Muriel Guin, Head of the Commission's Labour Law Unit within the DG for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, indicated that the EU's "harmonisation ability" as regards working conditions is limited. Often, the EU can only "complement and support" the efforts of the Member States. For example, the EU cannot legislate on self-employment.
Romain Schneider's conclusions
Romain Schneider, minister of Social Security, on 11 september 2015
Luxembourg's Minister for Social Security, Romain Schneider, concluded the debate by stating that the Luxembourg Presidency "is going to use the remaining four months to make a social impact in all areas".
As for the "health/safety dimensions", he also stressed the importance of the role of the Labour Inspectorate and any other relevant authority, as well as social partners, with a view to the application of relevant provisions in the area of health and safety at work, namely "adequate information" and "monitoring of proper implementation of the recommended measures". He also touched on the importance of identifying the risks within the area of health and safety in the framework of new forms of working, as well as those concerning the informal economy.
In addition, the Minister called for "the recognition of the role of social partners in the fight against social dumping with a view to protecting employees regarding their working conditions, as well as protecting employers against unfair competition".
He also went on to say that "We will have to continue working together with Bilbao (headquarters of the EU-OCHA, ed), Dublin (headquarters of Eurofound, ed.) and the ILO to identify risks in the area of health and safety at work, so as to create the conditions for new work forms and organisation, and promote the development of strategies and initiatives for health and safety for employees who are still caught up in the informal economy".
"No reduction in the level of worker protection in the area of health and safety and working conditions in general is acceptable", the Minister concluded.
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