A
new ILO Convention on Health and Safety in Agriculture (C-184;
R-192)
ILO Conference, 4-22 June 2001 by GIFA-IBFAN
The 89th Session
of the International Labour Conference took place in Geneva
from 4 to 22 June 2001. Besides the usual discussions concerning
"ongoing Conference business" with issues concerning budget,
member fees, distribution of funds, and other organisational
items, four committees were set up to examine in depth the
following specific topics: the Application of Standards, Health
and Security in Agriculture, the Promotion of Cooperatives,
and Social Security. Delegates from 160 countries attended
all or part of the Conference, from government officials -
including several Ministers - to trade unionists, from employers
to NGO representatives and activists working in fields related
to the topics under discussion, also, from journalists to
students and trainees; staff from IBFAN-GIFA followed in particular
the Committee on Health and Safety in Agriculture.
Close to three
weeks after the opening of the Conference, on 21 June, a new
Convention on Health and Safety in Agriculture (C-184)
was adopted in Plenary by 402 votes in favour (2 against and
41 abstentions).
The Recommendation
(R-192) that followed immediately also met with equal success
(Yes: 418; No: 0; Abstentions: 33).
GIFA-IBFAN concerns
related to the Convention and Recommendation
The goal of the
Committee on Health and Safety on Agriculture was to present
a new Convention for adoption. Various issues were negotiated:
medical insurance, machinery safety, handling of animals,
management and handling of chemicals, agricultural installations,
social security benefits, prevention of accidents, special
provisions for seasonal workers, children, women....and even
breastfeeding... IBFAN-GIFA staff was concerned more specifically
by articles directly linked to its work Ð thus the provisions
on chemicals and women in agriculture.
Chemicals (Articles
12 and 13)
As agriculture
is the realm of numerous chemicals and waste products that
can be extremely dangerous to all human beings - in particular
to agricultural workers of both sexes that are in direct contact
with these products, as well as their children - we were very
vigilant here. Research has proven that pesticides and other
persistent organic pollutants (or POPs) are damaging not only
to women's and men's reproductive capacities, but also to
the normal development of foetuses; and moreover, that these
pollutants tend to accumulate in body fats and can be transmitted
to nursing children through breastmilk. It is therefore of
primary necessity to protect as much as possible people of
childbearing age from such poisons.
"Sound management
of chemicals
Art. 12: The competent authority shall take measures,
in accordance with national law and practice, to ensure that:
(a) there be an appropriate national system or any other system
approved by the competent authority establishing specific
criteria for the importation, classification, packaging and
labelling of chemicals used in agriculture and for their banning
or restriction;
(b) those who produce, import, provide, sell, transfer, store
or dispose of chemicals used in agriculture comply with national
or other recognized safety and health standards, and provide
adequate and appropriate information to the users in the appropriate
official language or languages of the country and, on request,
to the competent authority; and
(c) there is a suitable system for the safe collection, recycling
and disposal of chemical waste, obsolete chemicals and empty
containers of chemicals so as to avoid their use for other
purposes and to eliminate or minimize the risks to safety
and health to the environment.
Art. 13:
National laws and regulations or the competent authority shall
ensure that there are preventive and protective measures for
the use of chemicals and handling of chemical waste at the
level of the undertaking. These measures shall cover, inter
alia:
(a) the preparation, handling, application, storage and transportation
of chemicals;
(b) agricultural activities leading to the dispersion of chemicals;
(c) the maintenance, repair and cleaning of equipment and
containers for chemicals; and
(d) the disposal of empty containers and the treatment and
disposal of chemical waste and obsolete chemicals."
Women workers
(Article 18)
IBFAN-GIFA was
also very concerned by the fact that the convention aimed
at protecting the largest sector of workers world wide, with
direct implications for the working conditions of women. In
developing countries especially, agriculture is still, and
by far, the most important sphere of occupation, and women
form the basis of its workforce. We were therefore particularly
watchful of any provisions focusing on women workers and work
situations which would influence their capacity to work, especially
while pregnant or breastfeeding. For us parts of this new
text could be seen indeed as a continuation of C-183 on maternity
protection.
"Women workers
Art. 18: Measures shall be taken to ensure that the
special needs of women agricultural workers are taken into
account in relation to pregnancy, breastfeeding and reproductive
health."
Implications
for future action: let's campaign for both C-183 and C-184
It is true that
this Convention does not focus as much on women as Convention
183, and that the gains it provides for all workers in agriculture
- women, men, children and children yet to be born - still
have to be implemented in the real world, which will be a
feat in itself. However it is an essential first step as it
touches the largest and most dangerous employment sector in
the world, which occupies the highest numbers of women workers,
often the poorest, the least protected and the least empowered.
The Trade Union-, as well as the several Government-representatives
with whom we spoke, were very pleased with the new text which
they considered to be much stronger than the previous draft,
and saw it as an impressive advance in the right direction.
We understood that efforts at all decision-making levels would
be put towards the ratification of this new Convention-184...
We therefore believe
that our work towards the ratification of C-183 on Maternity
protection at the workplace would gain by including information
in favour of the new C-184. It can indeed be argued that last
year's Convention on maternity protection would largely benefit
in the months to come from the campaigning, publicity and
general positive outlook in favour of C-184, and that we should
keep this in mind when planning our future work.
Contacts and information
To discuss the
above more thoroughly, please feel free to contact Elaine
Petitat-Côté or Alison
Linnecar at IBFAN-GIFA.
For more information
concerning the new Convention, please refer to the following
websites:
