Message du Ministre du Travail pour le  » WORLD DAY FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK 2023″

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work will be commemorated worldwide on 28 April 2023. This annual global event aims at raising widespread awareness on the importance of occupational safety and health (OSH) and in promoting a global preventative safety and health culture. The theme chosen this year by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is “A safe and healthy working environment – a fundamental right”.

At its 110th meeting, in June 2022, the International Labour Conference declared that “a safe and healthy working environment” is a fundamental principle and right at work. This also included designating the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155) and the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187) as fundamental Conventions. Now, all Member States of the ILO, regardless of their ratification status of these fundamental Conventions, have an obligation to respect, promote and realise, in good faith and in accordance with the ILO Constitution, the principles concerning the fundamental right to a safe and healthy working environment.

Despite all efforts being made globally, the level of human hardship and suffering due to occupational accidents and diseases is really alarming as indicated by the ILO report of 2016. There is a need for synergic actions of tripartite constituents to improve OSH conditions in hazardous sectors and in general at all places of work. These two fundamental Conventions on OSH set the principles and basis for managing OSH in a country and highlight the complementary roles of governments, employees and workers in improving safety and health at work. The key element of these two conventions include promotion of a preventative safety and health culture through a national policy on OSH, a national OSH system and a national OSH programme. These fundamental conventions have been ratified by the Republic of Mauritius and compliance thereto is being observed.

The Ministry of Labour, Human Resource Development and Training is commemorating the World Day for Safety and Health at Work through
(i) distribution of ILO posters on this year’s theme to all stakeholders so as to raise awareness on occupational safety and health at all workplaces,
(ii) conducting training sessions at workplaces and at the Ministry and
(iii) conducting a National Tripartite Workshop on ILO fundamental conventions on OSH so as to sensitise tripartite constituents on these two conventions.