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27 February, 2003With no budgeting or other provisions for health and safety, workplace accidents and job-related health problems are steadily increasing.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: The Steel Workers' Union of Trinidad and Tobago (SWUTT), an affiliate of the IMF, has reported the worsening of health and safety conditions in the steel plant of Caribbean Ispat Ltd, a member of the LNM Group, Ispat International. The union says that safety deficiency has reached crisis level throughout the plant.
In 2002, due to the lack of health and safety measures and the absence of budgeting for health and safety provisions, there were over 80 serious workplace accidents, plus an increasing number of workers obliged to retire because of workplace injuries or other health problems contracted in the plant. Contract workers are also being allowed in the plant without proper safety orientation, and when accidents occur, little or no investigations are made which could allow for corrective actions to be taken to prevent reoccurrences.
All this, says the union, confirms the clear violation of standards established at international level by the ILO, and although laws concerning health and safety are on the books in Trinidad and Tobago, they are being ignored.
The IMF has written to all its affiliates requesting strong protest letters be written to the company. In its own letter to Caribbean Ispat's CEO and to the country's minister of labour, the IMF has urged that the company respond positively to union demands on health and safety and called on the government to ensure international rules on health and safety are respected in Trinidad and Tobago.
The IMF is informing the ILO of the situation in the Ispat plant.
In 2002, due to the lack of health and safety measures and the absence of budgeting for health and safety provisions, there were over 80 serious workplace accidents, plus an increasing number of workers obliged to retire because of workplace injuries or other health problems contracted in the plant. Contract workers are also being allowed in the plant without proper safety orientation, and when accidents occur, little or no investigations are made which could allow for corrective actions to be taken to prevent reoccurrences.
All this, says the union, confirms the clear violation of standards established at international level by the ILO, and although laws concerning health and safety are on the books in Trinidad and Tobago, they are being ignored.
The IMF has written to all its affiliates requesting strong protest letters be written to the company. In its own letter to Caribbean Ispat's CEO and to the country's minister of labour, the IMF has urged that the company respond positively to union demands on health and safety and called on the government to ensure international rules on health and safety are respected in Trinidad and Tobago.
The IMF is informing the ILO of the situation in the Ispat plant.