It’s now 10 years since the Rana Plaza building, located in Dhaka, Bangladesh, collapsed. That fateful day, at least 1,132 people —mainly garment workers—were killed and more than 2,500 injured.
To mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work, Chihoko Asada-Miyakawa, the International Labour Organization’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, explains why making safe and healthy working environments a fundamental right for workers matters and what can be done to make this reality.
In June 2022, the International Labor Organization took a historic step when it added a safe and healthy working environment to its Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.It matters because occupational safety and health can now no longer be viewed as an optional extra.
When workers feel safe and healthy in their workplace, they are more likely to be productive and efficient. This can benefit workers, employers as well as the wider economy. Conversely, when workers are injured or become ill due to workplace hazards, it can have a significant negative impact on productivity and economic growth.
In Asia and the Pacific, progress on OSH is being made on many fronts. ILO OSH-related conventions have been ratified while there are new national OSH policies, laws and programs across the region. Steps are being taken to ensure that no one is left behind, with efforts, for example, to reach out to sanitation and waste recycling workers in South Asia and the smallest enterprises and informal economy workers in Asean.
Trade unions have an important role to play in this regard, helping voice concerns of workers as well as training them in OSH basics. Meanwhile, enterprise level OSH committees such as those set up in the Indonesian palm oil industry as well the Bangladesh garment sector allow workers and employers to address safety and health issues face to face and as equals.
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