A-21: TRADE UNIONS
Distr.
GENERAL
A/CONF.151/26 (Vol. III)
14 August 1992
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
REPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON
ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
(Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992)
Chapter 29
STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF WORKERS AND THEIR TRADE UNIONS
PROGRAMME AREA
Basis for action
29.1. Efforts to implement sustainable development will involve
adjustments and opportunities at the national and enterprise levels, with
workers foremost among those concerned. As their representatives, trade
unions are vital actors in facilitating the achievement of sustainable
development in view of their experience in addressing industrial change,
the extremely high priority they give to protection of the working
environment and the related natural environment, and their promotion of
socially responsible and economic development. The existing network of
collaboration among trade unions and their extensive membership provide
important channels through which the concepts and practices of sustainable
development can be supported. The established principles of tripartism
provide a basis for strengthened collaboration between workers and their
representatives, Governments and employers in the implementation of
sustainable development.
Objectives
29.2. The overall objective is poverty alleviation and full and
sustainable employment, which contribute to safe, clean and healthy
environments - the working environment, the community and the physical
environment. Workers should be full participants in the implementation and
evaluation of activities related to Agenda 21.
29.3. To that end the following objectives are proposed for accomplishment
by the year 2000:
(a) To promote ratification of relevant conventions of ILO and the
enactment of legislation in support of those conventions;
(b) To establish bipartite and tripartite mechanisms on safety,
health and sustainable development;
(c) To increase the number of environmental collective agreements
aimed at achieving sustainable development;
(d) To reduce occupational accidents, injuries and diseases
according to recognized statistical reporting procedures;
(e) To increase the provision of workers' education, training and
retraining, particularly in the area of occupational health and safety and
environment.
Activities
(a) Promoting freedom of association
29.4. For workers and their trade unions to play a full and informed role
in support of sustainable development, Governments and employers should
promote the rights of individual workers to freedom of association and the
protection of the right to organize as laid down in ILO conventions.
Governments should consider ratifying and implementing those conventions,
if they have not already done so.
(b) Strengthening participation and consultation
29.5. Governments, business and industry should promote the active
participation of workers and their trade unions in decisions on the design,
implementation and evaluation of national and international policies and
programmes on environment and development, including employment policies,
industrial strategies, labour adjustment programmes and technology
transfers.
29.6. Trade unions, employers and Governments should cooperate to ensure
that the concept of sustainable development is equitably implemented.
29.7. Joint (employer/worker) or tripartite (employer/worker/Government)
collaborative mechanisms at the workplace, community and national levels
should be established to deal with safety, health and environment,
including special reference to the rights and status of women in the
workplace.
29.8. Governments and employers should ensure that workers and their
representatives are provided with all relevant information to enable
effective participation in these decision-making processes.
29.9. Trade unions should continue to define, develop and promote policies
on all aspects of sustainable development.
29.10. Trade unions and employers should establish the framework for a
joint environmental policy, and set priorities to improve the working
environment and the overall environmental performance of enterprise.
29.11. Trade unions should:
(a) Seek to ensure that workers are able to participate in
environmental audits at the workplace and in environmental impact
assessments;
(b) Participate in environment and development activities within the
local community and promote joint action on potential problems of common
concern;
(c) Play an active role in the sustainable development activities of
international and regional organizations, particularly within the United
Nations system.
(c) Provide adequate training
29.12. Workers and their representatives should have access to adequate
training to augment environmental awareness, ensure their safety and
health, and improve their economic and social welfare. Such training
should ensure that the necessary skills are available to promote
sustainable livelihoods and improve the working environment. Trade unions,
employers, Governments and international agencies should cooperate in
assessing training needs within their respective spheres of activity.
Workers and their representatives should be involved in the design and
implementation of worker training programmes conducted by employers and
Governments.
Means of implementation
(a) Financing and cost evaluation
29.13. The Conference secretariat has estimated the average total annual
cost (1993-2000) of implementing the activities of this programme to be
about $300 million from the international community on grant or
concessional terms. These are indicative and order-of-magnitude estimates
only and have not been reviewed by Governments. Actual costs and financial
terms, including any that are non-concessional, will depend upon, inter
alia, the specific strategies and programmes Governments decide upon for
implementation.
(b) Capacity-building
29.14. Particular attention should be given to strengthening the capacity
of each of the tripartite social partners (Governments and employers' and
workers' organizations) to facilitate greater collaboration towards
sustainable development.
END OF CHAPTER 29
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