The Occupational Safety and Health Act has not yielded the expected results in the past 12 years. The number of workplace accidents and deaths has not declined. It needs real implementation in reality and awareness among all workers and companies about the importance of this issue, participants at the two-day regional forum in Skopje said.
They agree that it is necessary to step up the legislation, as well as to build a database that provides accurate information on accidents or deaths at the workplace. The most important is the cooperation between workers and employers, who should jointly devote themselves to the implementation of the law.
“If workers and employers are committed to implementing safety and security at work then we will have real results. How far can the Labor Inspectorate visit all companies, given that there are many small and micro enterprises in the country. The same situation is in the countries of the European Union. Trained worker and improvement of social dialogue are what is crucial to improving the situation,” says Viktor Kempa of the European Trade Union Institute.
