Opening address at the Tripartite workshop to customize Participatory Action Oriented Training (PAOT) approaches on OSH for the rural rectors
By Ms Cerilyn Pastolero, Project Manager of the ILO Project on Improving Workers' Rights in the Rural Sectors of the Indo-Pacific with a focus on Women at the Tripartite workshop to customize Participatory Action Oriented Training (PAOT) approaches on OSH for the rural rectors, 28 September 2022, Manila, Philippines
Warm greetings to our partners from:
This year, ILO member States including the Philippines have committed to respect and promote OSH as part of the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRW).
OSH is central to ILO’s Global Call to Action for an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient COVID-19 recovery that is human-centred.
It is also a priority area of the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP), which was developed by government, employers, and workers’ organizations in the country.
This conveys a clear message that OSH is vital for preventing and managing COVID-19 in all workplaces and for economic recovery.
It highlights that the right to a safe and healthy working environment is universal and applies to all workers, regardless of sector, industry, or country’s level of development.
Many agricultural workers suffer occupational accidents and diseases due to working with machines, vehicles, tools, and animals.
They are exposed to extreme weather and temperatures, as well as excessive noise and vibration, slips, trips, and falls, among others.
Fishing crew spend long hours at sea, often at night and in rough weather and sea conditions, handling dangerous catch, and operating heavy equipment without personal protective equipment.1
Mineworkers are prone to accidents, injuries and diseases due to mineral dust and explosions, long hours underground.2
Access to health and emergency facilities may be limited in remote agricultural, fishing and mining areas.
In May, we introduced PAOT and sector-specific strategies and materials for its use in agriculture, fishing and mining sectors.
With support from the United States Department of Labor (USDOL), the ILO Project on Improving Workers’ Rights in the Rural Sectors of the Indo-Pacific with a focus on Women organized a series of online workshops to do this.
The ILO regards PAOT as a way to promote OSH in rural sectors.
The PAOT relies on self-help voluntary actions, practical experience, and local expertise to develop innovative and practical initiatives to improve occupational safety and health using locally available resources;3 something that can accommodate the needs, context, and peculiarities of the target rural sectors.
This workshop aims to gather recommendations and strategies for fully adopting the PAOT methodology and materials in the target rural sectors. It will also develop a plan to promote, mainstream, monitor, report and sustain the adoption of PAOT in the target rural sectors, enterprises, and communities.
With your commitment and participation to this workshop, we look forward to your concerted efforts to improve safety and health in the agriculture and fishing sectors.
I wish you all a fruitful and successful workshop. May our endeavours help make decent work a reality for all!
Maraming salamat po (Thank you very much)!
_____________
1 Safety and health in agriculture. ILO code of practice.International Labour Office - Geneva: ILO, 2011.
2 Women in mining: Towards gender equality. ILO, 2021
3 Participatory Action-Oriented Training (PAOT)
- the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and government agencies;
- the Regional ITCs for Banana-Agriculture, Fishing and Mining;
- workers’ and employers’ organizations and representatives from the banana-agriculture, fishing and mining industries;
- Regional Safety and Health Practitioners;
- Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon!
This year, ILO member States including the Philippines have committed to respect and promote OSH as part of the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRW).
OSH is central to ILO’s Global Call to Action for an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient COVID-19 recovery that is human-centred.
It is also a priority area of the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP), which was developed by government, employers, and workers’ organizations in the country.
This conveys a clear message that OSH is vital for preventing and managing COVID-19 in all workplaces and for economic recovery.
It highlights that the right to a safe and healthy working environment is universal and applies to all workers, regardless of sector, industry, or country’s level of development.
Many agricultural workers suffer occupational accidents and diseases due to working with machines, vehicles, tools, and animals.
They are exposed to extreme weather and temperatures, as well as excessive noise and vibration, slips, trips, and falls, among others.
Fishing crew spend long hours at sea, often at night and in rough weather and sea conditions, handling dangerous catch, and operating heavy equipment without personal protective equipment.1
Mineworkers are prone to accidents, injuries and diseases due to mineral dust and explosions, long hours underground.2
Access to health and emergency facilities may be limited in remote agricultural, fishing and mining areas.
In May, we introduced PAOT and sector-specific strategies and materials for its use in agriculture, fishing and mining sectors.
With support from the United States Department of Labor (USDOL), the ILO Project on Improving Workers’ Rights in the Rural Sectors of the Indo-Pacific with a focus on Women organized a series of online workshops to do this.
The ILO regards PAOT as a way to promote OSH in rural sectors.
The PAOT relies on self-help voluntary actions, practical experience, and local expertise to develop innovative and practical initiatives to improve occupational safety and health using locally available resources;3 something that can accommodate the needs, context, and peculiarities of the target rural sectors.
This workshop aims to gather recommendations and strategies for fully adopting the PAOT methodology and materials in the target rural sectors. It will also develop a plan to promote, mainstream, monitor, report and sustain the adoption of PAOT in the target rural sectors, enterprises, and communities.
With your commitment and participation to this workshop, we look forward to your concerted efforts to improve safety and health in the agriculture and fishing sectors.
I wish you all a fruitful and successful workshop. May our endeavours help make decent work a reality for all!
Maraming salamat po (Thank you very much)!
_____________
1 Safety and health in agriculture. ILO code of practice.International Labour Office - Geneva: ILO, 2011.
2 Women in mining: Towards gender equality. ILO, 2021
3 Participatory Action-Oriented Training (PAOT)