PSI would like to hear from affiliate representatives who are interested and wish to contribute to the discussion on the protection of workers against Biological Hazards. This topic will be discussed this year at the 112th International Labour Conference (ILC), 3-14 June 2024, and  will continue in 2025 at the 113th ILC session.

To do so we would like to invite you to join the online consultation we have scheduled on Thursday 23 May – 1-3.30 pm (CET). (Find your local time here.)

Interpretation will be provided in English, French and Spanish provided you register as soon as possible.

REGISTER HERE

PSI is encouraging all affiliates to contribute but particularly those representing members within the following sectors:

• Health and Care Services

• Emergency Services

• Water and Sanitation

• Waste collection and disposal

• Janitorial services

• Public and green space maintenance

• Environmental, greening and re-naturing services

IMPORTANT

Should you be unable to attend please reach out nonetheless: send your comments on the topic and tell us if you will be attending the discussion as a member of your national delegation by writing to [email protected].

Background

• In 2021 the ILO held a meeting of Experts, which examined and adopted the Technical guidelines on biological hazards in the working environment.  

• In 2022 the ILO released a Report on Biological Hazards in the Working Environment. The report contained a survey which called on governments, employers and trade unions to respond.

• As a result, ILO published the Report IV(2): "Protection against biological hazards in the working environment" in February 2024, which composites the responses to the questionnaire.

Here is an extract

“A total of 87 governments sent their replies to the Office, with 81 of them indicating that the most representative organizations of employers and workers had been consulted. Replies were also received directly from the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Public Services International (PSI) and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF). At the time of preparing this report, the Office had received replies from 87 governments, 50 employers’ organizations and 94 workers’ organizations”.

PSI disseminated the survey in August 2023, and PSI affiliates contributed by sending 24 replies plus one from PSI itself. 

Draft text to comment

Reflecting the replies received, the 2024 ILO report concludes that the ILC should “adopt standards concerning biological hazards in the working environment” and that “these standards should take the form of a Convention supplemented by a Recommendation”.

The baseline text we are called to comment on is on page 99-107 of the report and is available below for your comments and review

Resources

The ITUC will be leading the workers’ group discussion and has prepared some briefings that can be of interest:

• ITUC Briefing Note on the discussion on the Protection against biological hazards, 2024 (EN)

• ITUC, Biological Hazards and the Work Environment (2024)

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about this consultation and/or your participation or if you wish to share relevant resources with other PSI affiliates.