OHS and employee representation in construction sector - Baltic states Malta , 27 – 28 June 2006

1. OHS and employee representation in construction sector - Baltic statesMalta, 27 – 28 June 2006 Agnese Puntuža Latvian Building Workers Trade Union

2. Table of contents • Construction sector in Baltic states • OHS project in Baltic states and Poland • Skandinavian social model • OHS situation in Baltic states

4. Average salary in Baltic states in 2006 (before tax)

5. Average salary in international companies in Latvia in 2006 (before tax)

6. Countries having investments in Latvia (top five) • Sweden • Germany • Estonia • Russia • The Netherlands

7. European Works Council representatives in Baltic states

8. Latvia Lithuania Estonia Poland Sweden Denmark Finland European Commission projectImproving Trade Union Health and Safety Capacities in the Construction, Forestry and Wood Working in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland

9. OHS and representation problems in Baltic states and Poland • Low trade union membership level in branches • Lack of regional structures • Labour fource migration • Branch trade union have no qualified workers in OHS questions (experts) • Lack of workers in trade union office • High rate of accidents at work and professional diseases • High rate of unreported accidents

10. Project activities • Cooperation with the researchers • To work on improving legislation regarding OHS • Educating OHS representatives • Cooperation with vocaitonal schools in construction sector • Developing educaiton and information material

11. Results of the 1st phase • Increased trade union membership • In total 29 seminars organized, 603 OHS representatives from factory level participated • Informative campaigns and events about questions regarding OHS organized • Research about OHS situation in each country carried • Cooperation with Labour inspectorate and vocational schools

12. Informative material - Estonia

13. Informative material - Latvia

14. Informative material - Lithuania

15. A Nordic Point of View • old traditions in social dialogue, that means collective bargaining in sectoral level (Sweden) and national collective bargaining (Finland). Also in Denmark and Norway. • unionisation rates 70-95 %, also the same with the extent of collective agreements • World’s best rates in employees’ voice representation, economical security and a national Happiness index (ILO survey 2004) • mutual understanding, that the Nordic ’social model’ may have a positive influence on business productivity as well as well-being in the society

16. A Nordic Point of View • in the Nordic countries the practice of collective bargaining is not based on rule of law but on the social contract (between employees and employers) • high level of social dialogue and productivity can exist simultaneously – they may even support each other

17. Problems in Social Dialogue and OHS in the Baltic states ”Private sectors in Baltic states do not, in the main, make use of modern forms of management based on co-operation. Their main priority is competitiveness and profitability, with little scope left for experimentation in the field of industrial relations or new forms of work organisation.” (Industrial Relations in Central and Eastern Europe 2004, 112)

18. Problems in Social Dialogue and OHS in theBaltic states In the Baltic societies it is common to rely on the law andpower, but in the Western societies more emphasis is put on contract (agreement). (Rein Ruutsoo, Estonian sociologist) employers’ interest: maximization of profits employees’ interest: wages and social provisions balance of interests

19. Physical working environment Workers are more exposed to vibrations, noise, heat, air pollution, and, to a lesser degree, to working in painful or tiring positions, than in the “old” EU Countries based on: Survey of European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin, 2003; www.eurofound.eu.int)

20. Work organization • less possibilities to chose working days, schedulle, breaks and holidays • it is more hierarchial, with workers having less control over the performance of their work and fewer responsibilities. Work organization is also less geared towards the development of skills and qualifications • the organization of work is relatively more industrial and less market-oriented than in the “old” EU Countries, less open to the outside world and more concerned with internal constrains than external demands Possibility to have days off (%)

21. Working time • working hours are considerably longer than in the “old” EU Countries: workers, particularly women, have longer working days and weeks • “atypical” forms of work such as night work or shift work are more widespread.Working hours per week (first row – men, second - women)

22. Work and health the perception that health and safety are at risk because of work is more widespread. The problems most often reported are: overall fatigue (41%), backache (34%), stress (28%) and muscular pains;Workers reporting work related overall fatigue (%)

23. Workers perception of OHS sittuattion • the greatest fear among the workforce is of unemployment!!! • OH&S is not seen as a priority by many of workforce; • information on OH&S generally comes through the supervisors; • most desired improvements in workplace are for better safety equipment; • foreign owned companies generally perform better on all OH&S criteria • knowledge about what safety commitees actually do is insufficient; • trade unions are necessary, but too week for workers protection; • strong support is evidenced for greater co-operation on OH&S between management and employees; • strengthening of sectoral and regional social dialogue on OH&S is recommended; based on: Sociological ECOHSE Survey of Workplace Safety Culture in Pre-Accession Lithuanian Enterprises (Glasgow,2003; www.gla.ac.uk/ecohse)

24. Incidence of occupational diseases in Lithuania (National Registre of Occupational diseases,2003) Most dangerous branches (incidence of occupational diseases,%): ________________________ • minning – 1.03; • fishing - 0.56; • construction - 0.52; • agriculture/forestry – 0.45; • manufactoring - 0.26; • transport - 0.14; • energy,water supl. - 0.10; • services - 0.05; • other - 0.02 ________________________ Country average: 0.21

25. Occupational accidents in Lithuania (Annual Report of State Labour Inspectorate,2004) ________________________________________________________ Economical activities All cases Heavy cases Fatal cases n (% from all) n (% from all) n (% from all) ________________________________________________________ All sectors 2665 173 90 construction 434 (16%) 50 (29%) 30 (33%) wood processing 276 (10%) 26 (15%) 3 (2%) forestry 60 (2%) 6 (3%) 3 (2%) ________________________________________________________

26. Fatal accidents in different sectors (Lithuania)

27. From the perspective of occupational accidents and diseases: • Construction is among 7 mostly dangerous branches in Baltic states; • Cases of accidents and diseases in the branche are more frequent comparing with the Country average; • Predominant causes of occupational accidents are insufficient organizational means (internal control, risk assessment, instructions, training, protective means and oth.); • Predominant causes of occupational diseases are physical hazards (noise, vibration) at work; • Underreporting of occupational diseases remains unsolved OH&S problem in Baltic states • Strenghthening of social dialogue on OH&S at workplace and regional level as well as better connections between workplace stakeholders and researchers can be an added value for the fruitfull prevention actions