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9 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 1/2001
The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) today applauded US President Bill Clinton and the US Senate for ratifying Convention 176 of the UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO), concerning safety and health in mines.
The White House today confirmed to the ICEM that President Clinton has signed the document ratifying Convention 176. The US Senate gave its consent to the Convention on September 20, 2000. The President's signature makes this the 14th ILO Convention ratified by the United States government.
The tripartite (union/employer/government) ILO General Conference approved Convention 176 on June 22, 1995, following an international campaign by the ICEM for its approval. The ICEM represents over 20 million workers globally, including more than 2 million mine workers.
"It is outrageous that in the 21st century, mine workers anywhere in the world are still forced to sacrifice their lives and limbs to make a living," said Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), which is affiliated globally to the ICEM.
"This ILO convention seeks to set minimum health and safety standards for the mining industry globally and that is a very worthy objective that must be enforced," he said. UMWA and ICEM officials played prominent roles in the ILO workers' group which was instrumental in drafting and securing adoption of this Convention.
"The ICEM applauds President Clinton and the US Senate for ratifying this important ILO Convention," said Fred Higgs, ICEM General Secretary. "When it comes to health and safety, there must be no double standards in the world's mining industry.
"The US government's ratification sends an important signal to other countries with significant mining industries that mine worker health and safety must be treated seriously," Higgs added.
The United States is the sixteenth government to ratify ILO Convention 176. Other governments which have signed up are Armenia, Austria, Botswana, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Lebanon, Norway, Philippines, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and Zambia. The ICEM is continuing its campaign to convince further governments to similarly ratify the Convention.
Under the Convention, states commit themselves to consult with unions and employers for the introduction of a coherent health and safety policy in mining. This policy is to include proper monitoring and inspection, plus investigations and reports on accidents and occupational diseases. Workers' representatives have the right to be fully involved in the inspections, investigations and reporting. The new standard places on employers the responsibility for risk elimination and reduction, ensuring that workers are evacuated from the mines if a serious danger arises, drawing up emergency action plans for each mine and providing full safety equipment and safety training.
The Convention also calls for workers to be fully informed of the health and safety risks in each mine. Most importantly, they are to have the right to stop work and leave the mine if they have reasonable grounds for believing that they are in serious danger.
More than 30 million people are employed worldwide in the mining industry and approximately 15,000 mine workers are killed per year around the world. There were 85 mine fatalities in the US in 2000. More than 127,000 miners were killed in the United States in the 20th century.
Many mining accidents go unreported. Major known mining disasters in 2000 included:
December 28, 2000. Donestsk Region, Ukraine, a windlass overturned and crushed two crane operators at the Bazhanov coal mine: two killed.
December 19, 2000. Atakumoso, Nigeria, a landslide at an illegal gemstone mine: 15 killed.
December 11, 2000. Baise city, Guangxi province, China, a roof collapse at a gold mine: 15 killed, four injured.
December 3, 2000. Hejin city, Shanxi province, China, an explosion at the Tianlong coal mine: 42 killed, six missing.
November 28, 2000. North West province, South Africa, a rock fall at Anglo American Platinum's Rustenburg platinum mine: two killed.
November 27, 2000. Sichuan province, China, poison gas released at the Red Star Coal Mine: nine killed.
November 25, 2000. Hulun Buir League of Inner Mongolia, China, a coal gas explosion at the Dayan Coal Co. mine: 51 killed, 12 injured.
November 19, 2000. Gokcesu hin Mengen township, western Bolu province, Turkey, a gas explosion: three killed, four others missing.
November 5, 2000. Liaoyuan district, Jilin province, China, a gas explosion at the Xian Coal Mine: 13 killed; 18 others missing.
November 1, 2000. Nanchange, China, a fire in the Pinghu coal mine: 13 killed and one missing.
October 20, 2000. Guangxi, China, an impoundment failure at a copper mine resulted in a landslide: 30 miners killed, 50 injured and another 100 missing.
October 13, 2000. Thabazimbi, South Africa, a rock fall at a Northam Platinum mine: two killed.
October 11, 2000. Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China, a gas explosion at the Zhangergou coal mine: 25 killed.
October 11, 2000. Mianzhu, Sichuan Province, China, a landslide at a phosphate mine: at least 20 killed.
September 28, 2000. Shuicheng, Guizhou province, China, an underground explosion at the Muchonggou coal mine: 161 killed; 43 critically wounded.
September 28, 2000. Driefontein, South Africa, a rockburst at a Gold Fields mine: two killed and ten injured.
September 27, 2000. Carletonville, South Africa, a rock fall at the Gold Fields Kloof gold mine: four killed, four injured.
July 9, 2000. Gansu province, China, a fire at a coal mine: 17 killed.
June 17, 2000. Henan province, China, a gas explosion at a coal mine: seven killed, four injured and another 7 missing.
June 16, 2000. Mianzhu, Sichuan province, China, a coal mine explosion: seven miners and 5 rescuers killed.
May 15, 2000. Welkom, South Africa, an underground explosion at the Gold Fields Ltd Beatrix gold mine: seven killed.
April 15, 2000. Shanxi province, China, a gas explosion in a coal mine: 40 killed and three missing.
April 6, 2000. Welkom, South Africa, a rock fall at the African Rainbow Minerals gold mine: three killed.
January 10, 2000. Orkney, South Africa, a rockburst at an African Rainbow Minerals gold mine: six killed.
The White House today confirmed to the ICEM that President Clinton has signed the document ratifying Convention 176. The US Senate gave its consent to the Convention on September 20, 2000. The President's signature makes this the 14th ILO Convention ratified by the United States government.
The tripartite (union/employer/government) ILO General Conference approved Convention 176 on June 22, 1995, following an international campaign by the ICEM for its approval. The ICEM represents over 20 million workers globally, including more than 2 million mine workers.
"It is outrageous that in the 21st century, mine workers anywhere in the world are still forced to sacrifice their lives and limbs to make a living," said Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), which is affiliated globally to the ICEM.
"This ILO convention seeks to set minimum health and safety standards for the mining industry globally and that is a very worthy objective that must be enforced," he said. UMWA and ICEM officials played prominent roles in the ILO workers' group which was instrumental in drafting and securing adoption of this Convention.
"The ICEM applauds President Clinton and the US Senate for ratifying this important ILO Convention," said Fred Higgs, ICEM General Secretary. "When it comes to health and safety, there must be no double standards in the world's mining industry.
"The US government's ratification sends an important signal to other countries with significant mining industries that mine worker health and safety must be treated seriously," Higgs added.
The United States is the sixteenth government to ratify ILO Convention 176. Other governments which have signed up are Armenia, Austria, Botswana, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Lebanon, Norway, Philippines, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and Zambia. The ICEM is continuing its campaign to convince further governments to similarly ratify the Convention.
Under the Convention, states commit themselves to consult with unions and employers for the introduction of a coherent health and safety policy in mining. This policy is to include proper monitoring and inspection, plus investigations and reports on accidents and occupational diseases. Workers' representatives have the right to be fully involved in the inspections, investigations and reporting. The new standard places on employers the responsibility for risk elimination and reduction, ensuring that workers are evacuated from the mines if a serious danger arises, drawing up emergency action plans for each mine and providing full safety equipment and safety training.
The Convention also calls for workers to be fully informed of the health and safety risks in each mine. Most importantly, they are to have the right to stop work and leave the mine if they have reasonable grounds for believing that they are in serious danger.
More than 30 million people are employed worldwide in the mining industry and approximately 15,000 mine workers are killed per year around the world. There were 85 mine fatalities in the US in 2000. More than 127,000 miners were killed in the United States in the 20th century.
Many mining accidents go unreported. Major known mining disasters in 2000 included:
December 28, 2000. Donestsk Region, Ukraine, a windlass overturned and crushed two crane operators at the Bazhanov coal mine: two killed.
December 19, 2000. Atakumoso, Nigeria, a landslide at an illegal gemstone mine: 15 killed.
December 11, 2000. Baise city, Guangxi province, China, a roof collapse at a gold mine: 15 killed, four injured.
December 3, 2000. Hejin city, Shanxi province, China, an explosion at the Tianlong coal mine: 42 killed, six missing.
November 28, 2000. North West province, South Africa, a rock fall at Anglo American Platinum's Rustenburg platinum mine: two killed.
November 27, 2000. Sichuan province, China, poison gas released at the Red Star Coal Mine: nine killed.
November 25, 2000. Hulun Buir League of Inner Mongolia, China, a coal gas explosion at the Dayan Coal Co. mine: 51 killed, 12 injured.
November 19, 2000. Gokcesu hin Mengen township, western Bolu province, Turkey, a gas explosion: three killed, four others missing.
November 5, 2000. Liaoyuan district, Jilin province, China, a gas explosion at the Xian Coal Mine: 13 killed; 18 others missing.
November 1, 2000. Nanchange, China, a fire in the Pinghu coal mine: 13 killed and one missing.
October 20, 2000. Guangxi, China, an impoundment failure at a copper mine resulted in a landslide: 30 miners killed, 50 injured and another 100 missing.
October 13, 2000. Thabazimbi, South Africa, a rock fall at a Northam Platinum mine: two killed.
October 11, 2000. Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China, a gas explosion at the Zhangergou coal mine: 25 killed.
October 11, 2000. Mianzhu, Sichuan Province, China, a landslide at a phosphate mine: at least 20 killed.
September 28, 2000. Shuicheng, Guizhou province, China, an underground explosion at the Muchonggou coal mine: 161 killed; 43 critically wounded.
September 28, 2000. Driefontein, South Africa, a rockburst at a Gold Fields mine: two killed and ten injured.
September 27, 2000. Carletonville, South Africa, a rock fall at the Gold Fields Kloof gold mine: four killed, four injured.
July 9, 2000. Gansu province, China, a fire at a coal mine: 17 killed.
June 17, 2000. Henan province, China, a gas explosion at a coal mine: seven killed, four injured and another 7 missing.
June 16, 2000. Mianzhu, Sichuan province, China, a coal mine explosion: seven miners and 5 rescuers killed.
May 15, 2000. Welkom, South Africa, an underground explosion at the Gold Fields Ltd Beatrix gold mine: seven killed.
April 15, 2000. Shanxi province, China, a gas explosion in a coal mine: 40 killed and three missing.
April 6, 2000. Welkom, South Africa, a rock fall at the African Rainbow Minerals gold mine: three killed.
January 10, 2000. Orkney, South Africa, a rockburst at an African Rainbow Minerals gold mine: six killed.