Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-12-14-Speech-3-564-000"
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"en.20111214.35.3-564-000"2
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"Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the crisis should in no way be used as a pretext for neglecting health and safety at work. Our aim is to provide good-quality employment to all workers, despite persistent mass unemployment and a sharp rise in casual work. According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at work, 168 000 people die each year in Europe as a result of work-related accidents and illnesses, of which more than half are cancers, and one quarter are cardio-vascular diseases. How can we not be shocked by this growing number?
Finally, professional illnesses should be recognised, or better recognised, starting with cancers, in order to quickly identify all of the issues.
Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I therefore call on all of you to support my report, because I am perfectly sure that it will enable us to meet all these challenges, and that Europe has a role to play. It should protect all workers, who must not lose their lives on account of their job.
Commissioner, I hope that, from 2013, there will be a European strategy on health and safety at work, and I truly hope that we will make swift progress on this.
As rapporteur for the review of the European strategy on health and safety at work, which will come to an end in 2012, my conclusions are clear. It would be morally wrong to turn a blind eye to people’s suffering at work. It would also be a mistake in economic terms, because all the studies indicate that accidents and professional illnesses are very costly, both to our health and social security systems and to our businesses.
From 2013 onwards, this strategy should be more ambitious, more consistent and, above all, more courageous. To achieve that, we need to strengthen the legislative framework and adapt current legislation to new occupational hazards such as psychosocial risks, musculoskeletal problems and nanomaterials. Work-related stress should not be treated merely with training courses, as this has proven entirely insufficient given that half of all European workers are exposed to risks that affect their mental health. The truth should be spelled out. Workers suffer, in particular, from the sudden reorganisation or intensification of their work and poor methods of management.
Furthermore, many employees draw attention to dangers for people as well as the environment. These workers must be protected. I am proud that Parliament is calling on the Commission to establish a directive that protects these much talked about whistle-blowers.
The European Commission should not hesitate to bring infringement proceedings against Member States that do not respect their obligations. European harmonisation in the health sphere is a significant step forward.
It is also vital to foster a culture of prevention in Europe. The Member States should increase the staff employed in their labour inspection services and seek to achieve the objective of one inspector per 10 000 workers, in accordance with International Labour Organisation recommendations.
There is absolutely no justification for weakening the prevention rules in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) or for independent workers, who enjoy the same fundamental right to health protection.
Furthermore, we have observed an increase in outsourcing of work and the emergence of subcontracting chains. There are new groups of workers who are not covered by prevention policies: casual workers, bogus self-employed people, subcontracted workers, and so on. Given the risk of exposure to powerful radiation and the dangers linked to the management of radioactive waste, it is essential that rigorous standards are applied to training, safety at work and inspection by independent bodies.
Finally, we need to take stock of new, emerging hazards, such as chemical and biological risks, which are complex but for which there is still insufficient data. Rapid action needs to be taken on asbestos, silica and other recognised carcinogens. The REACH provisions play a very important part in preventing cancers and other work-related diseases. It needs to be kept up-to-date and comprehensively implemented."@en1
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