PSI Affiliate - Pakistan WAPDA Electricity Union argues for more safety inspection of equipment , amendment of outdated Pakistan Labour laws, increased wages and pensions

The above article has been supplied by WAPDA and was originality published in the ' DAWN ' newspaper in Lahor , Pakistan on the 4th November . Supplied by Osama  Tariq Secretary All Pakistan Workers  Confederation  (Regd) - Bukhtiar  Labour  Hall  28 Nisbet  Road  Lahore  Pakistan. pwf@brain.net.pk  

UN Human Rights Council Adopts Key Report on Exposure of Workers to Toxic Substances

INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION  -  ITUC OnLine

 

Brussels, 17 September 2018 (ITUC Online): A new report adopted by the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) says that the exposure of workers to toxic substances is a global challenge that can and should be considered a form of exploitation. The HRC is calling states, business actors and international organisations to urgently eliminate or minimise workers’ exposure to these substances.  The ITUC will work with all stakeholders to see that these recommendations are put into practice.

 

ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow said, “Governments must do everything in their power to protect all workers from occupational exposures to toxic substances. Companies have a responsibility, as part of the due diligence expected of them, to prevent and mitigate impacts on human rights, including workers’ rights, due to exposures to toxic substances.”

 

“Samsung, as one example, has to date refused to release the name of chemicals that have killed more than 76 people and injured more than 200 others. All companies must put transparency of chemical use safety standards ahead of corporate greed,” added Burrow.

 

The new report sets out 15 recommendations to respect and fulfill the human rights of workers that have been infringed by their occupational exposures to toxic and otherwise hazardous substances. 

These include:

·         Governments should criminalise allowing workers to be exposed to substances that are known or should be known to be hazardous.

·         Workers, their families and their communities must have immediate access to an appropriate and effective remedy, which should be available from the time of exposure.

·         Workers or their families should not bear the burden of proving the cause of their illness or disability to access an effective remedy.

In addition, the International Labour Organization should recognise the right to safe and healthy work as a fundamental right along with the internationally recognised core labour standards.

 

It is estimated that one worker dies every 15 seconds from toxic exposure at work, while over 2,780,000 workers globally die from unsafe or unhealthy conditions of work each year. Occupational diseases account for 2.4 million (over 86 per cent) of total premature deaths. Approximately 160 million cases of occupational disease are reported annually. Inaction by states and businesses on this global public health crisis is estimated to cost nearly four per cent of global gross domestic product, or some US$3 trillion.

 

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes: Link to the report

UN expert Baskut Tuncak, Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes

 

The ITUC represents 207 million members of 331 affiliates in 163 countries and territories.

Follow us on the web: http://www.ituc-csi.org and http://www.youtube.com/ITUCCSI

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on +32 2 224 03 52 or mail to: press@ituc-csi.org

 

 

International Youth Day 12th August - “Violence is NOT part of the job”.

www.world-psi.org/en/international-youth-day-2018-safespaces4youth

On the occasion of International Youth Day 2018, Public Services International (PSI) is calling on all affiliates and young workers to send a strong message that “Violence is NOT part of the job”.   Preventing and tackling violence in the workplace remains a key issue for all trade unions throughout the world. – Rosa Pavanelli, PSI General Secretary Share and send us your photos/videos calling for violence-free workplaces. Use the #PSI4Youth and the UN #SafeSpaces4Youth hashtags.  The Weinstein scandal and the #metoo movement came as a brutal awakening to remind us that overt violence is only the tip of the iceberg that should not overshadow other forms of violence such as bullying, harassment and intimidation which have been overlooked for far too long. The time has come for trade unions to take the fight against these concealed practices to another level. While PSI is playing an active role in preparing the “ILO convention against violence and harassment in the world of work”, each trade union remains at the forefront to prevent all forms of violence, provide shelter and attentive listening to victims and support them in seeking justice, in lengthy, delicate and sometimes unfair legal proceedings. The vulnerability of young workers, and especially young women, is exacerbated by the increasing number of precarious contracts, pushing them into accepting intimidation, bullying and harassment at the workplace in order to keep their jobs and have a chance at building a career. PSI encourages all affiliates to use and disseminate the ILO guides on preventing workplace violence: ·         Violence at work - A major workplace problem ·         What can be done about violence at work?  Also see: ·         Campaign: Stop Gender-based violence at work!  ·         PSI Report - "Tackling violence in the Health Sector - A Trade Union Response": Executive Summary - Full report ·         ILO, ICN, WHO, PSI Framework Guidelines: Framework guidelines for addressing workplace violence in the health sector ·         PSI young workers' page DOWNLOAD OUR POSTERS BELOW

Advice from PSI web , please pass on 
http://www.world-psi.org/en/international-youth-day-2018-safespaces4youth

European Union - Trade with Australia and New Zealand: negotiating directives made public

http://dsms.consilium.europa.eu/952/Actions/Newsletter.aspx?messageid=23089&customerid=16831&password=enc_3232314445344341_enc

The European Union (EU) has now released its scope for a Trade Agreement with Australia and New Zealand . This long anticipated list ' Mandates " provided by the European Commission , will be important for all three parties . Along with Australia and New Z'ealnd's place in the Asia Pacific Region. 

The EU population is over 510 million , Australia 24.7 million plus , New Zealand 4.7 million plus, the agreement represents an important step for Australia and NZ on top on agreements with USA , China ,  - but on this occasion Labour standards etc are higher from the EU end.

List of Australian FTAs  http://dfat.gov.au/trade/agreements/Pages/trade-agreements.aspx 
List of New Zealand FTAs  https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/trade/free-trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements-in-force/ 

We can of course expect some stand out issues such as motor vehicles, (Australia and New Zealand are no longer main stream production car manufactures) , Investments and Finance (with Australia's large industry pension/superannuation schemes) . Industrial and Trade Union Rights for Europeans are at higher standard, including Works Council, Social partners etc

Of particular interest is the mention of -
" The Agreement should ensure that all levels of government, including sub-central authorities and relevant entities, effectively comply with the provisions of the Agreement". page 2
" The Agreement should also contribute to the promotion of sustainable development and broader EU values, inter alia by including trade related provisions on labour and environment, including through corporate social responsibility, responsible governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests, responsible agriculture investment and transparency." page 3
" . The Agreement should ensure that the parties should not encourage trade or foreign direct investment by lowering domestic environmental, labour or occupational health and safety legislation, and standards or by relaxing core labour standards or laws aimed at protecting and promoting cultural diversity". page 3.

Greg McLean

PRESS

Council of the European Union    25/6/2018 | PRESS RELEASE Trade with Australia and New Zealand: negotiating directives made public On 25 June, the Council decided to publish the mandates given to the Commission on 22 May to negotiate trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand. Trade agreements with both countries would aim primarily at further reducing existing barriers to trade, removing custom duties on goods, and giving better access for services and public procurement in Australia and New Zealand. The sectors likely to benefit the most from the FTAs are motor equipment, machinery, chemicals, processed foods and services. The negotiating directives are particularly concerned to protect vulnerable sectors such as agriculture by maximising the benefits of market opening without harming local producers. The mandates do not envisage full liberalisation of trade in agricultural products, which are foreseen as benefiting from specific treatment. The mandates also provide for a comprehensive and modern framework, based on the highest standards of labour, safety, environment, climate and consumer protection. The Commission officially launched the trade negotiations with Australia and New Zealand, respectively on 18 and 21 June. A first round of talks is expected to take place in the course of July. Negotiating directives for FTA with Australia Negotiating directives for FTA with New Zealand Visit the website Press contacts Maria Tomasik +32 2 281 24 63 / +32 470 88 23 83

IMF Should Embrace UN Special Rapporteur’s Report on Social Protection

https://www.ituc-csi.org/imf-should-embrace-un-special

Brussels, 20 June 2018 (ITUC OnLine): 
The ITUC has expressed support for the findings and recommendations of the report on “The IMF and Social Protection” written by Philip Alston, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.  Mr Alston will present his report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva this week.

Noting the IMF’s financial power and influence, ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow said: “The Special Rapporteur is right on the mark when he states that real progress in expanding social protection to the majority of the world’s population that has none will not happen unless the IMF consistently promotes the creation of fiscal space for social protection.”

The ITUC agrees with the report’s analysis that too often the IMF has been involved in social protection issues only with the objective of limiting fiscal costs.  This focus explains the IMF’s frequent hostility to universal protection and its preference for very narrowly targeted programmes, which deprive many low-income households of benefits and weaken political support for social protection.

Alston’s report also points out the IMF’s limited cooperation with the ILO and other UN agencies specialised in social protection, and the Fund’s failure to commit unambiguously to all the Sustainable Development Goals, most notably SDG 1.3 to implement nationally appropriate social protection systems for all, including social protection floors.

“The ITUC endorses the Special Rapporteur’s recommendation that the IMF should ‘engage seriously and systematically with the Social Protection Floor Initiative of the United Nations, ILO and WHO’”, said Burrow.

In light of the IMF’s initiation of a process to adopt a new “strategic framework” on social protection by February 2019, the ITUC calls on the Fund to embrace the key recommendations of the Special Rapporteur’s report: (i) work in support of attainment of the SDGs on social protection; (ii) drop its resistance to universal coverage; and (iii) work in cooperation with other agencies and organisations that support expanded social protection.

The ITUC represents 207 million members of 331 affiliates in 163 countries and territories.

Follow us on the web: http://www.ituc-csi.org and http://www.youtube.com/ITUCCSI

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on +32 2 224 03 52 or mail to: press@ituc-csi.org

Australian first stewardship code for asset owners unveiled - Superannuation and Pension scheme matters

The Australian Asset Owner Stewardship Code was developed by the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI) in consultation with its members and other stakeholders. The Code aims to increase the transparency and accountability of stewardship activities in Australia. Stewardship activities include exercising voting rights, company engagement, monitoring asset managers and financial system advocacy.

ACSI CEO Louise Davidson said, “There is a growing desire for information about how asset owners manage the money entrusted to them. The Code raises the bar on signatories to proactively manage and disclose their stewardship activities. Beneficiaries and other stakeholders will find it easier to understand and assess the focus that asset owners have on good stewardship”.

Stewardship codes exist in many markets in the world, including the United Kingdom, United States, Japan, Hong Kong and South Africa. However, this is the first stewardship code to focus exclusively on the activities of Australian asset owners. The Code is open to all asset owners (including super funds, endowments and sovereign wealth funds), not just ACSI members.

The Code sets out six principles which signatories must commit to on an ‘if not, why not’ basis:
1. Publicly disclose how they approach their stewardship responsibilities.
2. Publicly disclose their policy for voting at company meetings and voting activity.
3. Engage with companies either directly, indirectly (for example, via collective action or third-party providers) or both.
4. Monitor asset managers’ stewardship activities.
5. Encourage better alignment of the operation of the financial system and regulatory policy with the financial interests of long-term investors.
6. Report to beneficiaries about their stewardship activities.

Signatories will be required to publish a Stewardship Statement which describes how they apply these principles. ACSI will maintain a list of signatories on our website, including a link to their Stewardship Statement and contact details.

Davidson is encouraging all asset owners to demonstrate their commitment to good stewardship by becoming signatories. She said “Australian asset owners have a long history of engaging with companies and voting their shareholdings to protect and enhance long-term value for their beneficiaries. “Signing up is an opportunity for asset owners to demonstrate that their intentions are backed by meaningful action. This is a strong basis from which to build trust and to set the tone for stewardship in Australia.”

Professor Ian Ramsay from the University of Melbourne will launch the Code in front of more than 250 conference delegates, including representatives from investors, government, academia and media. Ramsay said, “I would like to congratulate ACSI on this important initiative. Australian asset owners play a fundamental role in our financial markets and it’s good to see them take the lead in setting best practice standards for the disclosure and management of stewardship activities.”

Download the Australian Asset Owner Stewardship Code and Frequently Asked Questions

https://www.acsi.org.au/images/stories/ACSIDocuments/Stewardship_code/AAOSC_-_Final.pdf

Above media release from ACSI 

A just transition to a green economy could create 14 million jobs in Asia and the Pacific - advice from United Nations - Note support for social dialogue between Governments, Unions and Employers

ILO flagship report estimates job losses and job creation as the world moves to a greener economy.  ....Press release | 14 May 2018

BANGKOK (ILO news) – Fourteen million new jobs would be created in Asia and the Pacific by 2030 if the right policies to promote a greener economy are put in place, finds the new ILO report World Employment and Social Outlook 2018: Greening with Jobs.

“The findings of our report underline that jobs rely heavily on a healthy environment and the services that it provides. The green economy can enable millions more people to overcome poverty, and deliver improved livelihoods for this and future generations. This is a very positive message of opportunity in a world of complex choices,” ILO Deputy Director-General Deborah Greenfield says.

• The transition to a greener economy can create a net of 14 million jobs in Asia and the Pacific, with gains in fields of renewable energies, construction, manufacturing, and sustainable agriculture.

• In Asia and the Pacific, economic growth remains coupled with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Environmental degradation is further exacerbated by the high volume of extraction; the region was responsible for 55 per cent of the 84 gigatons of materials extracted globally in 2013 (including freshwater and raw materials).

• Estimates show that between 2008 and 2015, the region lost an annual average of 536 working-life years per 100,000 working age people due to human-induced or climate change related disasters.

• Heat stress is another concern, as rising temperatures impact the health of workers and reduce worker performance. Southern Asia could face productivity losses equivalent to 4.8 per cent, corresponding to around 40 million full-time jobs as a result of rising temperatures. Agriculture workers will be the most affected.

In contrast, there could be net job losses in the Middle East (-0.48 per cent) and Africa (-0.04 per cent) if current trends continue, due to the dependence of these regions on fossil fuel and mining, respectively.  

• Most sectors of the economy will benefit from net job creation: of the 163 economic sectors analysed, only 14 will suffer employment losses of more than 10,000 jobs worldwide.

• Only two sectors, petroleum extraction and petroleum refining, show losses of one million or more jobs.

• 2.5 million jobs will be created in renewables-based electricity, offsetting some 400,000 jobs lost in fossil fuel-based electricity generation.

• 6 million jobs can be created by transitioning towards a ‘circular economy’ which includes activities like recycling, repair, rent and remanufacture - replacing the traditional economic model of “extracting, making, using and disposing”.

Ecosystem services - including air and water purification, soil renewal and fertilization, pest control, pollination and protection against extreme weather conditions - sustain, among others, farming, fishing, forestry and tourism activities, which employ 1.2 billion workers worldwide, and 848 million in Asia and the Pacific.

But projected temperature increases will make heat stress, particularly in agriculture, more common. It can lead to several medical conditions, including exhaustion and stroke. The report calculates that heat stress will cause a 2 per cent global loss in hours worked by 2030 due to sickness.

The report calls on countries to take urgent action to train workers in the skills needed for the transition to a greener economy, and provide them with social protection that facilitates the transition to new jobs.

“Policy changes in these regions could offset the anticipated job losses or their negative impact. Low- and some middle- income countries still need support to develop data collection, and adopt and finance strategies towards a just transition to an environmentally sustainable economy and society that includes everyone from all groups of society,” says Catherine Saget, the lead author of the report. 

The report calls for synergies between social protection and environmental policies which support both workers’ incomes and the transition to a greener economy. A policy mix comprising cash transfers, stronger social insurance and limits on the use of fossil fuels would lead to faster economic growth, stronger employment creation and a fairer income distribution, as well as lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Countries should take urgent action to anticipate the skills needed for the transition to greener economies and provide new training programmes. The transition to more sustainable agricultural systems would create jobs in medium and large organic farms, and allow smallholders to diversify their sources of income, notably if farmers have the right skills.

The report also shows that environmental laws, regulations and policies that include labour issues offer a powerful means to advance the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda and environmental objectives.

“Social dialogue which allows employers and workers to participate in the political decision-making process alongside governments plays a key role in reconciling social and economic objectives with environmental concerns. There are cases in which such dialogue not only helped to reduce the environmental impact of policies but also avoided a negative impact on employment or working conditions”, concludes Saget.

• Catherine Saget, ILO Senior Technical Specialist and Team Leader, RESEARCH - saget@ilo.org 

• ILO news and media unit - newsroom@ilo.org  

Key findings in Asia and the Pacific  - According to the report, globally, action to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius will result in sufficient job creation to more than offset the expected job losses of 6 million in traditional energy sectors. The global net job creation as countries make the transition to green economies would amount to 24 million jobs: 14 million in Asia and the Pacific, 3 million in the Americas, and 2 million in Europe.

Global key findings  - New jobs will be created with the adoption of sustainable practices in the energy sector, including changes in the energy mix, promoting the use of electric vehicles and improving the energy efficiency of buildings.

No gains without the right policies  -  Although measures to address climate change may result in short-term employment losses in some cases, their negative impact can be reduced through appropriate policies.

Advice from http://www.ilo.org/asia/media-centre/news/WCMS_629158/lang--en/index.htm

For more information, please contact

http://www.ilo.org/asia/media-centre/news/WCMS_629158/lang--en/index.htm

Above media advice from UN - ILO 

Australian Council of Trade Union briefs Trustees on whats happening

Member Superannuation Trustees / Representatives recently meet for briefing by the Australian Council of Trade Unions on whats happening with Superannuation and Pension Fund Directors at a global level. What are Trustees views on key issues being discussed in the industry, within their Union, political parties and the superannuation industry, including universality of superannuation , contribution levels , hardship access, the broad range of issues being discussed at superannuation  conferences, from anti slavery, ILO Conventions, PRI, GRI and OECD Guidelines were just some of the issues .


For further information, please contact greg.mclean92@gmail.com  

PSI supports ILO Staff's decision to go on strike

http://www.world-psi.org/en/psi-supports-ilo-staffs-decision-go-strike

The ILO GB, with the support of the Workers Group (a move that is very hard to comprehend),

just adopted a decision to implement the pay cut decided by the UN International Civil Service 

Commission in 2017, based in a defective methodology that established that salaries of UN staff

in Geneva should be reduced by 7.5%, a decision that was taken without consulting with the UN

staff representatives.

In a surrealist scenario, the Employers’ Group opposed the implementation of the pay cut, 

acknowledging that a defective methodology could not be accepted to implement a pay cut - a 

position that was widely recognized and appreciated by the ILO staff.

The ILO staff agreed to go on strike during an extraordinary meeting held soon after the decision was known. The strike is taking place 

tomorrow and there will be a picket line preventing access to the ILO building

Share14

Commonwealth Summit: Unions Call for Action on Jobs, Democracy, Development and Climate

INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION (ITUC)  

https://www.ituc-csi.org/commonwealth-summit-unions-call

Commonwealth Summit: Unions Call for Action on Jobs, Democracy, Development and Climate

16 March 2018 (ITUC OnLine): Trade unions from the Commonwealth countries are calling on leaders at the 52-member Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London on 19-20 March to act on jobs, democracy, development and climate.  The biennial summit brings together national leaders from the grouping that includes more than a third of the world’s population.

In a submission to the meeting, the Commonwealth Trade Union Group puts forward a set of priorities which Commonwealth countries should implement.  They include:

- an annual Commonwealth Labour Ministers meeting to tackle the jobs crisis
- full ratification of the ILO core conventions by all Commonwealth countries 
- action against modern slavery including due diligence in supply chains 
- the development of a youth employment strategy with support for vocational education and quality apprenticeships 
- adoption of ambitious climate plans to keep the global temperature rise below 2 degrees 
- resources and support for development of small island states 
- strong audit and peer review mechanisms to implement the Harare Declaration 
- maintaining pressure for the restoration of democracy in Fiji and for an end to persistent breaches of the Commonwealth Charter by Swaziland 
- incorporating LGBTI rights in the 2018 CHOGM Declaration.

“The Commonwealth is founded on the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.  At a time when these values are under strong attack in every region of the world, this large gathering of national leaders in London should adopt clear and robust measures to defend democracy and human rights, create jobs and ensure economic development.  With Commonwealth countries amongst those hardest hit by devastating climate disasters, a just transition to a zero-carbon zero-poverty future must be an absolute priority for the Commonwealth’s member states,” said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow.

The ITUC represents 207 million members of 331 affiliates in 163 countries and territories.

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department press@ituc-csi.org

Above media advice from ITUC 

A significant number of PSI Union Affiliates , in the Asia Pacific Region, reside in Countries that are part of the Commonwealth . 

The Commonwealth is made up of Countries see  http://www.commonwealthofnations.org/commonwealth/commonwealth-membership/commonwealth-members/  

As well as Associated & Overseas Territories http://www.commonwealthofnations.org/commonwealth/commonwealth-membership/associated-and-overseas-territories/