Day 3 | 9 June

A Safe and Healthy Workplace as a Fundamental Principle and Right at Work

11:00-12:30 ICT

Background

Respecting and protecting human rights in the world of work is a pressing concern in the global economy. The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, first adopted in 1998 and amended in 2022, is essential to achieving this goal as it expresses the commitment of governments, employers and workers' organizations to uphold basic human values that are vital to the social and economic lives.

With the recognition of a safe and healthy working environment as the 5th Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRW) in 2022, OSH has become a topic of particular interest in how it intersects with other FPRWs and contributes to addressing challenges in protecting workers’ rights in the workplace. This is also recognized in the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration) - first adopted in 1977 and most recently amended in 2022 - that includes specific principles regarding occupational safety and health (OSH) addressed to governments and enterprises.

States must now effectively protect and promote the rights enshrined in the two ILO fundamental OSH Conventions 155 and 187 at national level. The ILO Violence and Harassment Convention 190 is also important in this context, as it recognizes that violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment, are incompatible with decent work. This convention is another crucial proof of the importance of promoting a safe and healthy working environment that is free from violence and harassment. This plays a critical role in achieving State’s duty to respect human rights and an enterprise's goal of respecting human rights.

Objectives

The session will center on the experiences and insights of various stakeholders including governments, employers, workers, and businesses, in addressing a safe and healthy working environment as part of the effort to promote the protection and respect of human rights in business operations. The focus will be on the resolution that underscores the integration of OSH with other FPRWs, giving particular attention to good practices by all the ILO constituents across different countries/sectors.

The discussion intends to provide valuable insights and recommendations on how action by all ILO Members to promote OSH as a Fundamental Principle and Right at Work can contribute to the business and human rights agenda and how to replicate and further develop good practices, promote a culture of respect for workers, and establish a mutually beneficial workplace environment for both workers and enterprises. It will show that safe and healthy workplaces are good for business, including for increased productivity.

Speakers

Peter Daly

With more than 20 years’ experience in senior leadership roles in the corporate and not-for-profit sectors, Peter has a deep understanding of membership organisations and a proven history of working successfully with governments and industry to build consensus around business and public policy outcomes. Peter is CEO of the Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia (an employer association), member of numerous government advisory bodies and board director on several business entities, worker entitlement funds and charitable organisations. In his earlier career he worked in Australia and internationally as a thought leader in road safety engineering. Peter is the current Chair of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Employment and Skills Committee and honoured to be part of the Australian delegation to the International Labour Organisation Conference in 2022 and 2023.

Rima Melati Harjono

Rima is on the OSH Committee in the Manpower & Social Security Department
The Employers’ Association of Indonesia.

She graduated as a Medical Doctor from Atma Jaya Catholic University, and also attended a Postgraduate professional programme as an occupational medicine specialist at University of Indonesia and earned a
Master of Occupational Health from the University of Indonesia.

Repon Chowdhury

Repon Chowdhury is Secretary General of the Bangladesh Free Trade Union Congress (BFTUC) and founder Executive Director of the Bangladesh Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Foundation (OSHE foundation) with 30 years work experience in the field of occupational health, and safety and environment issues. He is one of a leading OSH rights advocate in Asian region and involved in preparation of the ILO technical guidelines on biological hazards (2022) and the Revised ILO Code of Practice on Safety and Health in Construction (2022) as a technical expert from the worker’s side. He is the ITUC regional focal point on sound management of chemical and waste. Repon Chowdhury was the International Coordinator of the Asian Network for Rights of the Occupational and Environmental Accident Victims (ANROEV) period between 2017-2019.

At national level, Repon made a leading contribution in the process of formulation of national OHS policy for Bangladesh (2013); and played vital role in the amendment process of Bangladesh Labour Act. (2006, 2013 and 2018) as a worker’s representative.

Yuka Ujita

Dr. Yuka Ujita, Japanese national, is a medical doctor by profession and holds Ph.D in Preventive Medicine from the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan (UOEH).

On a foundation of her work experience in the medical field over twelve years, as a certified occupational physician, she offered Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) services to both workers and employers in various settings.

In 2003, she joined the ILO Subregional Office for East Asia. Since then, Dr. Ujita has contributed to improvement and promotion of safety and health at work through policy and technical advice, training, knowledge sharing, awareness raising and project backstopping both at the HQ and in the field offices.

The areas she has particularly covered include OSH data, safety and health of vulnerable groups of workers (female workers, young workers, migrant workers, and those in informal economy) and hazardous child labour.

Ma. Teresita S. Cucueco

Ms Cucueco is Executive Director, Occupational Safety and Health Center- Department of Labor and Employment, Philippines.

She has expertise in Policy and Program development on OSH, Building capacities for stakeholders on OSH, and Research planning /agenda setting on OSH. She has published papers on: Comparative Analysis The GHS Analysis in EU, USA and Asia (Philippines, Malaysia and Japan); Asbestos in the Philippines: Country Report; Occupational Safety and Health of Women Workers in Small Enterprise and the Informal Economy- GREAT WOMEN Project; and Health and Safety of Farmers in the Philippine Cordilleras: Pesticide Exposure

United Nations Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum, Asia-Pacific