In one call to action to protect workers, ILO National Coordinator for Iraq Maha Kattaa has called for measures to reduce risks for those working under extreme temperatures.
Dangerous areas
According to what’s recent Labor Force Survey, A quarter of workers in Iraq work in construction or agriculture – already considered one of the most dangerous sectors in the world.
One Report for 2019 of the United Nations agency stressed that “the increase in global temperatures caused by climate change will make heat stress more prevalent” – threatening progress towards decent work. .
Meanwhile, as conditions deteriorate, workers’ security, health and well-being are likely to suffer.
Protecting ordinary workers
Ms. Kattaa said that while workers in some parts of Iraq were given a day off due to the heat, measures must be taken to protect informal, temporary, seasonal or daily workers that could not be skipped. miss a working day.
This may include providing appropriate clothing; access to drinking water and shaded areas; and is encouraged to work during cooler hours with appropriate rest periods.
It also involves ensuring that legislation relating to occupational safety and health is being enforced through the labor inspectorate – especially in the areas that face the greatest risk.
Modernize occupational health and safety
Iraq has ratified a number of ILO Conventions focusing on the need to protect workers in various sectors.
Most recently, this was done through the approval of Agriculture Health and Safety Convention, 2001 (No. 184), reaffirming the country’s commitment to decent work and international labor standards.
Ms. Kattaa reiterated that the ILO is committed to supporting its partners in the development of policies on occupational safety and health and labor inspection.
These will contribute to modernizing existing systems and improving conditions for workers and their employers.
While these efforts are not specific to heat stress at work, they will help ensure an increasingly better working environment for all workers in Iraq, Kattaa said.
“The safety and health of workers is everyone’s responsibility,” she said.
“We all have a role to play – even small ones – to ensure that good and safe working conditions and our environment are protected from further degradation.”
