'High-level declarations are not enough,' watchdog says
An international watchdog has called for urgent global action to address the health and safety risks facing workers worldwide.
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) made the call during the ongoing International Labour Conference in Geneva, which began on June 2.
"High-level declarations are not enough. We need urgent, coordinated, and well-funded action to make decent work a reality for all. We must take bold, coordinated action to ensure that every worker, in every corner of the world, is treated with dignity, fairness, and safety," said Ruth Wilkinson, the Head of Policy and Public Affairs at IOSH, in a statement.
"The time for fragmented efforts is over. Only through a strong, well-resourced, and accountable global approach can we protect workers' rights, uphold human dignity, and build a future where no one is left behind."
Wilkinson made the remarks as nearly three million workers die every year due to work-related accidents and diseases, according to estimates from the International Labour Organization in 2023.
Among these fatalities, 2.6 million stem from work-related diseases, such as circulatory diseases, malignant neoplasms, and respiratory diseases, while an additional 330,000 deaths are caused by work accidents.
"Every day, millions of workers around the world face a silent crisis — one that unfolds not in headlines, but in hospitals, homes, and workplaces," Wilkinson said. "From exposure to harmful chemicals and dangerous machinery, to the toll of stress, poor ergonomics, and long hours — our workers are navigating a minefield of risks."
Despite these estimates, many systems that are meant to ensure safety at work remain largely underdeveloped, underfunded, or unenforced, according to the IOSH official.
"Our failure to address these challenges urgently will fail humanity and weaken resilience, jeopardising our collective future and undermining the very foundation of sustainable and inclusive economic growth," she said.
"Occupational safety and health must be more than a principle – it must be our priority. We need bold, adaptive strategies that protect workers from both traditional hazards and the growing dangers of a warming world, technological disruption, weak enforcement and widening inequalities between the Global North and South."
The International Labour Conference gathers government, employer, and worker delegates from the ILO's 187 member states to address important world of work matters.
According to the ILO, the 113th conference's agenda includes:
Gilbert F. Houngbo, ILO Director-General, opened the conference underscoring the ILO's importance in the transforming world of work and in advancing social justice.
"We can and must act with determination and consistency to promote social justice through a better balance between economic, social, and environmental dimensions," he said in a statement.
The 113th International Labour Conference will run until June 13.
