7 March, 2011Two years after establishing a joint health and safety committee, ASIMRA and UOM have established an excellent joint approach to health and safety with ArcelorMittal management at the Acindar Steel Plant in Argentina, setting a benchmark for other facilities in Latin America.
ARGENTINA: The ArcelorMittal Joint Global Health and Safety Committee (JGHSC) met on March 1 to 3 at the Acindar Steel Plant. The plant produces 90 per cent of Argentina's long product consumption and has 2675 direct employees. There are two unions present ASIMRA and UOM and between them the union density is 85 per cent of the workforce. The purpose of the visit was to see how the local joint health and safety committee functions and also to see safety standards during a site visit.
The impression of the JGHSC was that the both unions and management had taken the commitment to health and safety issues very seriously and that a good dialogue existed with issues being raised and dealt with by the local joint health and safety committee.
Local union representatives explained that in the two years that the committee has existed they have been able to build mutual respect with management and a joint approach to safety. The local unions took pride in the fact that shortly after the joint committee was formed in ArcelorMittal the Sante Fe state government also passed legislation for other companies to follow suit.
During the site visit it was clear that the standard was high but that some capital expenditure was needed in particular in the steel plant. This investment would help tackle pollution in the plant and also build on the good work already carried out. Another area for improvement included the length of time union representatives can serve on the local Joint Committee, currently each representative has a one year term.
Rob Johnston, IMF Executive Director, stated, "Acindar is one of the best Joint Health and Safety Committees we have seen in the group, it is certainly the benchmark for Latin America and can still improve to become the global standard."
Tony Murphy European Metalworkers' Federation added, "Unlike, the situation in Brazil were unions and management are working against each other it's refreshing to see the Acindar approach. My message would be to send management from ArcelorMittal Brazil to learn from Acindar plant's progress."
The next Joint Global Health and Safety Committee will take place in Vittoria, Brazil March 28 to 30, 2011.