Social Dialogue on Occupational Safety and Health Issue: A Roundtable in Armenia

On 9-11 September 2022, in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia, the Confederation of Trade Unions of Armenia (CTUA), IndustriALL Global Union, and the ILO “Promoting Implementation of Labour Rights in Armenia Together” project, conducted a round-table discussion on “Management methods and OSH-related planning in the sectorial enterprises and strengthening social dialogue”.

News | 12 September 2022
Around 30 representatives of employers and trade union activists of the Republican Industrial Union of Trade Union organizations of miners, metallurgists, and the jewellers of Armenia participated in the meeting.

ILO Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia was represented by Gocha Aleksandria, Senior Specialist in Workers’ Activities, Antonio Santos, Labour Administration, Labour Inspection and Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Specialist, and Miranda Fajerman, Specialist on International Labour Standards. They joined the discussion and made their presentations in an online format.
 
The purpose of the round-table discussion was to strengthen social partnership, as well as to discuss non-state monitoring by the trade unions in OSH-related issues in cooperation with the Health and Labour Inspection Body of the RA (HLIB).

During the sessions, the participants discussed different issues related to OSH management systems, the role and tasks of trade unions at various levels of the system,  the application of OSH-related International Labour Standards, as well as the HLIB role and ways to strengthen cooperation and improve social dialogue on OSH.

According to Vadim Borisov, Regional Secretary of IndustriALL, ”the mining and metallurgical industry, along with energy and construction, are among the top three industries with the highest incidence rates of injuries, including fatalities. We consider this seminar as the first serious meeting of social partners, opening an opportunity to build a functioning labour protection system. IndustryALL is ready to provide support for this endeavour, but in the end it will depend on whether the parties manage to establish a permanent social dialogue."

The participants proposed to establish a joint health and safety committee in the mining industry, to conduct regular meetings, and to develop an OSH policy for the industry in coordination with the relevant ministries. They also stressed the need to assess the OSH situation in Armenia and introduce the appropriate solutions in the legislative framework.

The event was organized with the financial support  of the ILO development cooperation Project “Promoting Implementation of Labour Rights in Armenia Together” (PILRAT).