Government Turns Its Back On Workers' Safety
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi is dismayed by the Government's decision to abstain from the new International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on biological hazards that would strengthen worker protections.
'This Convention provides a comprehensive framework for preventing and managing biological workplace health and safety issues,' said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff.
'Representatives of Government, employers' and workers' organizations at the 113th International Labour Conference have resoundingly voted for the adoption this new Convention and accompanying Recommendation on protection against biological hazards in the working environment.
'There is strong international support for this Convention which has been ratified by more than 95% of representatives from the 187 ILO member states. The New Zealand workers' delegation voted in favour of this convention which embeds the importance of healthy and safe work as a fundamental aspect of good work for everyone.
'Unfortunately, the New Zealand Government has joined Bangladesh, Djibouti, Panama, Algeria, Guatemala, and India as the only Governments to vote against or abstain in the vote for the Convention. New Zealand Business representatives did not vote at all.
'The failure of the Government to support this convention reflects its total disregard and disinterest in workers' safety and health and shows how isolated New Zealand has become from global efforts to improve safeguards at work,' said Wagstaff.
James Ritchie, the Spokesperson for the biological hazards Convention stated:
'This is the first international instrument that specifically addresses biological hazards in the working environment at the global level. It follows the Covid pandemic, and the 2022 decision to include a safe and healthy working environment in the ILO's framework of fundamental principles and rights at work.
'The New Zealand Government rejection of this historic convention is not a theoretical exercise, implementing its provisions would save lives now and during future outbreaks of infectious diseases,' said Ritchie.
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Business as usual is almost certainly unfit for looming crises that will demand critical, multi-lensed, outside-the-square science and innovation. 'I see this as continued hollowing out of the South Island,' he says. 'The south is experiencing unprecedented growth and popularity, yet government is failing to grasp the opportunities in our unique public research sector and leadership that is already well-established at Lincoln and the wider region. Climate and geo-tectonic risk, especially up north, demands government infrastructure be regionally spread; we must not put all our governance eggs in one basket.' 'Our Prime Minister is in China right now promoting Aotearoa as a place for students including agricultural students, to study. It seems totally counter-intuitive that the last head office here should be disconnected from the centre of New Zealand's agricultural and tourism enterprise, and our affordable living,' says Meurk. 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