4 October, 2010
A joint information campaign by the European Mine, Chemical, and Energy Workers’ Federation (EMCEF) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is proving successful in alerting trade unions and workers’ representatives to coming deadlines of REACH and the Chemical, Labeling, Packaging (CLP) regulation of the EU. The campaign is aimed at workers inside companies that market or use chemicals in their manufacturing.
REACH is the Registration Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals regulation, an EU statute that took effect in 2007 and which is being phased in over several years. REACH requires industrial operators to register any chemicals they make or import in quantities above one tonne per year with the new European Chemicals Agency.
EMCEF General Secretary Reinhard Reibsch
The deadline for employers to register is 30 November 2010, and the EMCEF/ETUC campaign is asking workers to remind employers of this fact. The accompanying CLP regulation says they have to notify the new agency regarding the classification and labeling of all hazardous substances that go on the market, regardless of production volume.
A 1 December 2010 exists for CLP Reclassification, while a 3 January 2011 deadline looms for CLP notification.
The two European trade union federations see fulfillment of the requirements as job-saving measures in the European chemicals sector. “Workers in this industry are very interested in sustainable development of the sector based on high environmental values, social progress, and economic success,” said EMCEF General Secretary Reinhard Reibsch, adding the joint EMCEF/ETUC campaign is an extension of that.