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News list
News list
Canada’s unions applaud asbestos ban regulations
Canada’s unions applaud the federal government for introducing regulations to ban the import, export, manufacture, sale and use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. The regulations, announced in December 2016 will come into force on December 30, 2018.
Employers and unions call on Commission to include reprotoxicants in the Directive on carcinogens and mutagens at work
On 16 October the European chemical industry and trade unions agreed that European Union (EU) workers should be better protected from the risks related to exposure to reprotoxic substances. In a joint declaration, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the industriAll European Trade Union, the European Chemical Employers Group (ECEG) and the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) called on the European Commission to extend the scope of the Directive on the protection of workers from carcinogens and mutagens to reprotoxic substances.
REACH: NGO criticises poor quality of registration dossiers
The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) says that 32% of the chemicals made or imported into the European Union since 2010 in quantities exceeding 1 000 tonnes per year have breached the REACH regulations. This statement is based on a joint study by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung, BfR) and the German Environment Agency (UBA).
Diesel emissions will fall under the scope of the Carcinogens directive. A victory for the workers’ movement
On 11 October, the European Parliament and the Council came to an agreement on the Commission's second proposal to broaden the list of recognised cancer-causing chemicals in the workplace. Eight additional substances will be covered by the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive, including diesel engines exhaust emission (DEEE) in workplaces. The European Trade Union Confederation has welcomed the announcement.
2018 Prescrire Prize awarded to an ETUI publication
The ETUI was announced as one of the winners of the 2018 Prescrire Prize in Paris on Thursday, 4 October 2018 for its publication entitled ‘Endocrine disruptors: an occupational risk in need of recognition’. These awards have been given out every year since 1989 by the French journal Prescrire, renowned for its work on drug research and its independence from the pharmaceutical industry.
New report on how European countries address the issue of burnout in the workplace
In September, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) published a report reviewing policies and regulations adopted in Europe to tackle burnout in the workplace.
ETUI conference: Women, Work and Cancer
On 4-5 December 2018, the ETUI will be holding a conference in Brussels on work-related cancers. Work on the prevention of occupational cancer in women is currently facing some difficulties. Epidemiological research in this area focuses far more often on men than on women. There is a stereotype of occupational cancer only being an issue for male professions in traditional industries.
Chemical risks: French report wants improved employer monitoring
In early September the French Ministry of Labour published a report on the prevention of chemical risks at work.Written by Paul Frimat, a professor in occupational health, this document had been tucked away for several months because it contains several proposals that go against the reforms undertaken under the presidency of Emmanuel Macron. Those reforms aim to reduce employers’ obligations in terms of risk prevention. By contrast, the Frimat report calls for increased employer accountability and recognition of occupational diseases due to dangerous chemicals.
Annual gathering of union experts on occupational safety and health: law enforcement as a key challenge for the future
The 14th edition of the annual trade union strategic seminar on health & safety at work, organised by the ETUI from 10 to 13 September 2018 in Athens, provided a forum for more than 40 trade union representatives from 19 different European countries to discuss a range of topics, from carcinogens at work to work-related stress. This meeting allows every year the workers’ interest group of the Advisory Committee for Safety and Health at Work to take stock of EU policy and union priorities in the field of occupational safety and health (OSH).
Spain: cleaning ladies’ illnesses to be recognised by health insurers
In early September, representatives from the Spanish ministry for employment, the regional health authorities and the cleaning sector, have reached an agreement for a series of complaints experienced by hotel cleaning ladies to be recognised as occupational illnesses. Those health problems include carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis, epicondylitis, as well as inflammations and pains in the hands and arms, resulting from the repetitive movements performed throughout the working day.
The ETUI is financially supported by the European Union
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