The World Day for Safety and Health at Work: Empowering unions to tackle the spread of the avian influenza virus in workplaces

As of 23 April 2009, 141 people in Indonesia have been infected by the avian flu virus (H5N1), of whom 115 died (fatality rate 81 percent). This makes Indonesia the highest in the world in terms of numbers of human cases. Workers and employers in workplaces have a risk of getting infected. At the same time, the workplace can be used as an important start in promoting awareness to prevent the spread of the avian influenza virus.

Press release | 27 April 2009

JAKARTA (ILO News): As of 23 April 2009, 141 people in Indonesia have been infected by the avian flu virus (H5N1), of whom 115 died (fatality rate 81 percent). This makes Indonesia the highest in the world in terms of numbers of human cases. Workers and employers in workplaces have a risk of getting infected. At the same time, the workplace can be used as an important start in promoting awareness to prevent the spread of the avian influenza virus.

To further prevent the spread of this transmitted disease at the workplace, the International Labour Organization (ILO) will conduct a workshop titled “Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and Union’s Initiatives” on Tuesday, 28 April 2009, at Mezzanine Room, the Aryaduta Hotel, Jakarta, from 09.00am to 17.00pm.

The workshop is organized in conjunction with the commemoration of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work as well as the commemoration of the ILO having been founded 90 years ago. The workshop will be officially opened by dr. Harjono, Chairman of National Occupational Safety and Health Council (DK3N), Syukur Sarto, Chairman of KSPSI, and Peter van Rooij, Deputy Director of the ILO in Indonesia.

The workshop aims to strengthen the capacities of unions and encourage workers to be more active in the OSH committee in their companies. The ILO, through the Avian Influenza and the Workplace Project in Indonesia, has developed and conducted trainings on preventing the spread of the avian influenza virus for workers. This training material was developed based on the Participatory Action-Oriented Training method, the same method as the already existing POSITIVE training programme.

“The call to protect workers against sickness, disease and injury arising out of employment has been at the heart of the ILO’s agenda. OSH is a human right and an integral part of a people-centred agenda for development. Safe work also underpins sustainable enterprises which benefit from improved productivity, quality and workforce motivation. A healthy workforce and safe and productive enterprises are part of successful and sustainable development strategies,” said Peter van Rooij, emphasizing the importance of OSH at workplaces.

POSITIVE stands for Participation-Oriented Safety Improvement by Trade-Union initiatiVE. This programme has been developed to promote action-oriented training in OSH by trade union initiatives and how unions can contribute to improved work conditions, especially at the plant level. Thus, this workshop also aims to enrich the POSITIVE training with the preventive measures at the workplace to prevent the spread of transmitted diseases like avian influenza by integrating the avian flu training material into the POSITIVE programme.

For further information please contact:

M. Bey Sonata
Project Manager of the ILO’s Avian Flu Project
Tel. +6221 3913112 ext. 117
Email

Gita F. Lingga
Media Relations Officer
Tel. +6221 3913112 ext. 115
Email