Online Consultation for PSI affiliates on Protection against Biological Hazards
- 23 May - 23 May
- Geneva, Switzerland
13:00 - 15:30 CEST
PSI would like to hear from affiliate representatives who are interested and wish to contribute to the discussion on the protection of workers against Biological Hazards. This topic will be discussed this year at the 112th International Labour Conference (ILC), 3-14 June 2024, and will continue in 2025 at the 113th ILC session.
To do so we would like to invite you to join the online consultation we have scheduled on Thursday 23 May – 1-3.30 pm (CET). (Find your local time here.)
Interpretation will be provided in English, French and Spanish provided you register as soon as possible.
REGISTER HERE
PSI is encouraging all affiliates to contribute but particularly those representing members within the following sectors:
Health and Care Services
Emergency Services
Water and Sanitation
Waste collection and disposal
Janitorial services
Public and green space maintenance
Environmental, greening and re-naturing services
IMPORTANT
Should you be unable to attend please reach out nonetheless: send your comments on the topic and tell us if you will be attending the discussion as a member of your national delegation by writing to lrg-municipal@world-psi.org.
Background
In 2021 the ILO held a meeting of Experts, which examined and adopted the Technical guidelines on biological hazards in the working environment.
In 2022 the ILO released a Report on Biological Hazards in the Working Environment. The report contained a survey which called on governments, employers and trade unions to respond.
As a result, ILO published the Report IV(2): "Protection against biological hazards in the working environment" in February 2024, which composites the responses to the questionnaire.
Here is an extract
“A total of 87 governments sent their replies to the Office, with 81 of them indicating that the most representative organizations of employers and workers had been consulted. Replies were also received directly from the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Public Services International (PSI) and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF). At the time of preparing this report, the Office had received replies from 87 governments, 50 employers’ organizations and 94 workers’ organizations”.
PSI disseminated the survey in August 2023, and PSI affiliates contributed by sending 24 replies plus one from PSI itself.
Draft text to comment
Reflecting the replies received, the 2024 ILO report concludes that the ILC should “adopt standards concerning biological hazards in the working environment” and that “these standards should take the form of a Convention supplemented by a Recommendation”.
The baseline text we are called to comment on is on page 99-107 of the report and is available below for your comments and review
Download
PSI Position and Priorities
.PDF DOCUMENT
Proposed Conclusions - Biological Hazards
.PDF DOCUMENT
Proposed Conclusions - Biological Hazards
.DOCX DOCUMENT
PSI Biological Hazards consultation PPT
.PDF DOCUMENT
Cuestionario OIT peligros biológicos
.PDF DOCUMENT
Conclusiones Encuesta peligros biológicos 112a. CIT
.PDF DOCUMENT
Biohazards briefing [ES]
.PDF DOCUMENT
Biological_Hazards_discussion-PSI-position-ES-final.pdf
.PDF DOCUMENT
Conclusions_proposees_Dangers_biologiques [FR]
.PDF DOCUMENT
Conclusions_proposees_FR.docx
.DOCX DOCUMENT
Questionnaire_OIT_dangers_biologiques_112e_CIT [FR]
.PDF DOCUMENT
Biohazards_briefing [FR]
.PDF DOCUMENT
Biological_Hazards_discussion-PSI-position-FR-final.pdf
.PDF DOCUMENT
Resources
The ITUC will be leading the workers’ group discussion and has prepared some briefings that can be of interest:
ITUC Briefing Note on the discussion on the Protection against biological hazards, 2024 (EN)
ITUC, Biological Hazards and the Work Environment (2024)
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about this consultation and/or your participation or if you wish to share relevant resources with other PSI affiliates.