Ukraine: Union and employers sign declaration on occupational health and safety

The BWI-affiliated Ukraine Construction and Building Materials Workers’ Union (PROFBUD) and the Ukrainian National Building Chamber (the employers’ and business association of Ukraine) on 15 April signed a joint declaration recognising the importance of safe and healthy workplaces. 

The declaration is part of BWI’s “health and safety is our right” campaign leading to the International Workers’ Memorial Day on 28 April. It commits the declaration signatories to policies and practices that promote occupational health and safety. It also supports the call to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to recognise workplace health and safety as a fundamental right. 

“I am proud to say that our union and employers are on the same page regarding the importance of healthy and safe jobs in the construction industry and in recognising that they are institutionalized as a fundamental right. Healthy and safe workplaces are a win-win situation for all,” PROFBUD President Vasyl Andreev said. 

BWI said that it expects more joint declarations to be signed in the coming days. The global union hopes that the said declarations will contribute in creating a strong international clamour for the ILO to declare safe and healthy workplaces as a worker right. BWI said that this will increase accountability on the part of governments and employers to international labour standards on health and safety, and protect workers from avoidable work-related accidents, illnesses and deaths.