Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-02-23-Speech-3-341"
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"en.20050223.20.3-341"2
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".
Mr President, I would like to bring a few particular groups of workers into this discussion. Aside from general health and safety measures, persons with disabilities have their own individual requirements. Assessing and meeting the requirements of an employee with disabilities should be a matter of course and not a hassle that an employer is tempted to avoid by not hiring persons with disabilities.
Lastly, I agree with the rapporteur that it is essential to have the input on health and safety regulations from the workers themselves. It could not be simpler: ask people what they need; they will tell you, and then the money spent on health and safety will be spent well.
In my country, there has been a dramatic increase in the numbers of teenagers working. Teenagers tend to be short-term, part-time, untrained and uninformed workers. Added to these risk factors, teenagers tend to feel indestructible; they have little thought for their health or safety. I know: I have teenagers. One of my sons worked for an employer who was very health conscious: the employer avoided the toxic jobs and gave them to the youngest workers. I had to make my son quit the job. If employers are going to use the energy, enthusiasm and cheap, unquestioning labours of young people, the least we can do is to require employers to ensure that teenage workers are safe.
A special school of 47 children was having a fundraiser; as a parent, I attended. It was mentioned that there was no problem getting tickets printed, as eight of the children had parents who worked in printing. I was not surprised to read scientific research later that there is a probable connection between Down's syndrome and other developmental disabilities from exposure to inks, glues, paints and other workplace-related chemicals, such as those used in a printing works.
Women, especially mothers, have unique health and safety issues that, when they are not addressed, are a major cause of stress. In the case of breastfeeding mothers, a lack of appropriate measures means that mothers stop breastfeeding, or do not attempt it at all. In Ireland, we have no support for breastfeeding and we have the lowest rate of breastfeeding in the EU. This is in contrast to countries like Norway, where there is good protection and good support, and where they have 98% breastfeeding rates among their mothers.
Research shows that the shortage of nurses, long working hours and overtime, all increase the risk of dangerous errors like needlestick injuries. There is no legislation currently governing minimum staffing levels, or any of those stress-related issues. Directive 89/391/EEC is not specific enough to protect healthcare workers. In the United States, the need for more specific legislation was recognised and the new Needlestick Injury Prevention Act now requires appropriate measures to be taken, particularly in terms of the equipment used by healthcare workers.
I feel that it is vital in every discussion in the area of workers and workplace, especially in health and safety, to discuss those workers who are denied the status recognition, benefits and protection of employees. Those are the homeworkers, both men and women.
I will focus on two types: one is the family member. In my experience, it is usually a spouse, who works on the family farm or in the family business without pay. In terms of health and safety, they may benefit from the measures that are taken for their spouse, but there are no appropriate measures taken for their own needs. I think of the daily unrecognised farm working of many of my friends, of my own sister. I can still picture her and my young teenage nephews trying to deal with a bull while her husband was at the mart: no protection there. Though their work is financially productive, they are not factored into EU directives.
The other group of workers, men and women home carers, are probably the largest single workforce in the EU. They work very hard and save society a fortune. They are precluded from earning because they are caring for the elderly, the sick and those with disabilities. Often that work costs them money to perform; often they are impoverished in their efforts. Their health and safety situation is critical. Home carers are commonly lifting, living on little sleep, impoverished by the cost of caring, dealing with challenging and sometimes erratic behaviour. I know, I have been one for 30 years. I urge you to bring the home workers and home carers into the employment loop with all that means, especially in protection for health and safety.
I would like to mention the European Parliament workers, who facilitate our work here so well. The staff who are stationed at the visitors' entrance in the LOW Building are freezing. There is a powerful heating unit over the door to warm the entrance for visitors and staff, but it has been broken all winter. I spent some time waiting there and I was frozen. I do not know how it can be healthy for the staff who must sit there all day. I have asked on a couple of occasions for the heater to be fixed and I would ask you: please, see if you can get the heater repaired for the sake of the health and safety of the staff in this building."@en1
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