Safety, health at work remains an issue

TIRANA, May 11 – The inclusion of a management system for safety and health at work during the implementation of preventive and protective measures in the workplace is essential to improve work conditions and environment, said Alfred Topi, ILO representative in Albania during a roundtable to mark. With the active participation of social partners, the management systems for safety and health at work will be able to find practical solutions for improving the safety and health at work.
The General Labour Inspector, Vikrita ȵto, briefed the participants on progress made in the field of occupational safety and health. She said that in addition to the formulation and adoption of the basic legal framework in this area, raising awareness among the general population on safety and health through an information campaign has been undertaken. In addition, a quantitative and qualitative increase in the work of labour inspectors was recorded.
In her remarks, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Albania and the United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative, Ms. Zineb Benjelloun-Touimi expressed the commitment of UN agencies in establishing a preventative culture of safety and health at work, which depends on the commitment, cooperation and joint action of government, employers, employees and all other relevant actors. Ms. Benjelloun-Touimi went on to highlight her intention to further the dialogue for partnership in the next Programme of Cooperation of UN and Government of Albania for the period 2012 to 2016, commenting: “We will certainly consult with you and expect your support and partnership in the formulation and implementation of social dialogue and employment.”
In the field of occupational safety and health, Albania has ratified several ILO Conventions. The ILO Office in Albania has marked World Day for Safety and Health at Work since 2003, stressing the importance of and promoting preventive policies of accidents and diseases at work through social dialogue and tripartite cooperation.
Latest data by the State Labour inspectorate show the number of work-related accidents slightly dropped to 83 accidents and 21 deaths compared to 85 accidents and 25 deaths in the first nine months of 2009.
The National Labour Council has recently proposed some changes to the country Labour Code improving safety and health regulations at workplaces and preventing discrimination to bring it closer to EU legislation following problems under the current law. The changes drafted with the assistance of international labour experts foresee the inclusion of ‘personal protective equipment at work’ in the contract employees have to sign with their employers. The new changes also envisage that employers must have risk assessment documents for their workplaces and the preventive measures when asked by labour inspectors. Some limits have also been proposed to noise levels.
Work-related accidents and diseases are a common phenomenon in Albania, especially in the construction industry where employees work without the minimum protection equipment and often in inappropriate conditions.
Under the changes approved by the National Labour Council (NLC), a consultative body composed of representatives from the Labour Ministry, labour and employer unions, discrimination based on sexual orientation or HIV/AIDS is banned in employment or vocational training. Another novelty of the draft law is than men will benefit up to three days of paid work when becoming fathers.
The new changes, which will be sent to government for approval, need a qualified majority of 84 votes to be turned into law, which the ruling coalition can not do on its own. Labour Minister Spiro Ksera, also the chairman of the NLC, has called on partner organizations to lobby the opposition for the approval of such an important law.
However, the draft law is unlikely to be approved until a solution is found to the political stalemate between government and opposition over the 2009 contested general elections. Government has not been able to approve a single important law needing qualified majority of votes since then.