GENEVA: The International Labour Organization (ILO) has said that the world must unite in turning the right to protect workers into a human right issue in every part of the world.
On the occasion of the World Safety and Health at Work Day, ILO Director-General Guy Ryders said: “Over 313 million workers suffer non-fatal occupational injuries each year, equating to 860,000 people injured on the job daily. Every single day, 6,400 people die from an occupational accident or disease, amounting to 2.3 million deaths each year. Work-related accidents or diseases can definitely be placed in the high-burden category of all global health problems."
While stressing the need to prioritize safety in the workplace, Ryder insisted that there is no economic recession or pressure to maximize profits can ever justify cutting corners in workplace safety.
"Actually, failure to do so comes at a high price. Four per cent of global gross domestic product, equivalent to an astounding US$2.8 trillion, is drained off annually by costs related to lost working time, interruptions in production, treatment of occupational injuries and diseases, rehabilitation and compensation,” he explained.
A long-standing ILO priority, occupational safety and health were recognized as a fundamental human right in the 2008 Seoul Declaration on Safety and Health at Work.
QNA
