ETUC Demand Action On Worker's Deaths And A Zero Tolerence Of Workplace Cancer Almost two hundred thousand people die every year in the European Union as a result of workplace diseases, illnesses and accidents. The reality is much worse - there is massive under reporting by employers, and when a worker is killed by their work it harms whole families. The ETUC is the voice of workers and represents 45 million members from 90 trade union organisations in 38 European countries, plus 10 European Trade Union Federations, and on their behalf. • Set a target of zero workplace cancer, and as a step towards that target set ‘binding occupational exposure limits’ for at least 50 cancer-causing substances (24 have been agreed by the current Parliament and Commission); In their press release issued 23rd April, Esther Lynch, ETUC Confederal Secretary said: “Work is to earn a living - not cause death. The EU should work towards no work-related deaths and adopt an official target of zero workplace cancer. EU law is needed to oblige employers to put in place actions to prevent and tackle work-related stress and to stop the misery and suicide caused by work-related stress. The EU must also act to reduce the distress of millions of workers who suffer from musculoskeletal pain – like back, knee and other pain in people’s tendons, joints, muscles and bones.” On work-related road deaths and suicides, Esther added: “We know that a large proportion of road deaths are work-related, and with the digital economy there is an increase of people delivering goods by road. We need those platforms who create the conditions to be responsible and take actions to protect workers and prevent work-related road deaths. We also know that these delivery workers are subject increasingly to violence. On work-related suicide we need studies and statistics as well as a actions to prevent such suicides.” There were estimated to be some 500,000 work-related cancer deaths 2014-19 (the period in office of the current European Commission and Parliament), part of a total of 900,000-1 million work-related deaths over the same period in EU member states. The ETUC defends fundamental social values such as solidarity, equality, democracy, social justice and cohesion. It fights for:
The last ETUC Congress in Paris in 2015 adopted a Manifesto that lays out demands in the areas of economic governance and employment policy, trade union rights and social dialogue, ambitious social standards and fair globalisation. Source: ETUC press release / website See also: ETUC Make It Clear They Oppose Brexit
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