THE GUST OF HONOUR, MINISTER OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY MRS BRENDA MWIKA TAMBATAMBA MP
SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS PRESENT
THE ZAMBIA CONGRESS OF TRADE UNION REPRESENTATIVE
THE ILO COUNTRY DIRECTOR FOR ZAMBIA, MALAWI AND MOZAMBIQUE MR. WELLINGTON CHIBEBE
WE ARE GLAD AS ZFE TO BE PART OF THIS YEAR’S WORLD DAY FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK BEING COMMEMORATED WORLD OVER AND PARTICULARLY IN ZAMBIA UNDER THE THEME “IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON OCCUPATION SAFETY AND HEALTH WHICH ENTAILS FOCUSING ON STRATEGIES TO STRENGTHEN NATIONAL OCCUPATION SAFETY AND HEALTH (OSH) SYSTEMS AND POLICIES THAT WILL ENSURE SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK IN CHANGING CLIMATE.
WE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COMMEND THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY FOR ENSURING THAT THIS DAY 28TH APRIL, 2024 DOES NOT GO UN COMMEMORATED BUT INSTEAD IT HAS BEEN RECOGNISED AS AN IMPORTANT DAY AND BEING COMMEMORATED THROUGH THE ACTIVITIES LINED UP TO HAPPEN TODAY.
THROUGH THIS COMMEMORATION WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY ARE BEING REMINDED TO OBSERVE THIS IMPORTANT DAY WHICH REMINDS US ABOUT OBSERVING OCCUPATION HEALTH AND SAFETY AT EVERY ENTERPRISE IN THE COUNTRY.
GUEST OF HONOUR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN CLIMATE CHANGE HAS NOT SPARED THE WORLD OF WORK. THE WORKING POPULATION HAS FOR SOME TIMES NOW BEEN EXPOSED DAILY TO UNAVOIDABLE CLIMATE CONDITIONS DUE TO THEIR SETTINGS. SCIENTISTS HAVE ARGUED THAT THE EFFECTS OF WATER SUCH AS RAIN, HEAT AND AIR POLLUTION MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF DISEASE, INJURIES ACCIDENTS AND EVEN AFFECT GOOD PERFORMANCE.
THE ISSUE OF ANALYSING THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE CAN BE BROAD AND CAN BE ANALYSED FROM EITHER ASSESSING THE EVOLUTION OF THE EMISSION OF GREEN HOUSE, THE INFLUENCE OF DEFORESTATION OR RISING TEMPERATURES.
IT CAN ALSO FOCUS ON THE CONSEQUENCES SUCH AS THE LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY OR THE ECONOMIC LOSSES ON ACTIVITIES IMPAIRED BY CLIMATE CHANGE SUCH AS IMPACT ON AGRICULTURE, TOURISM OR SUPPLY CHAIN.
WHILE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE CAN BE SEEN ON THE WIDER POPULATION, A POPULATION GROUP ALSO VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO CLIMATE CHANGE RISK IS THE LABOUR FORCE.
GUEST OF HONOUR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WORKERS ARE FIRST EXPOSED TO CLIMATE CHANGE DAMAGING EFFECTS, OFTEN FOR A LONGER TIME AND GREATER INTENSITY THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION. THIS EXPOSURE HAPPENS BECAUSE WORK ACTIVITIES END UP FORCING WORKERS TO ENDANGER THEMSELVES TO CONDITIONS THAT OTHER INDIVIDUALS COULD AVOID ESPECIALLY FROM OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SUCH AS AGRICULTURE AND CONSTRUCTION.
GUEST OF HONOUR WHEN IT COMES TO THE WORLD OF WORK CLIMATE CHANGE HAS EFFECTS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO OCCUPATIONAL IMPAIRMENT, SUCH AS THE HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES OF HEAT CRAMPS, HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE, WHICH IS THE PHYSICAL STRAIN CAUSED BY HEAT STRESS THAT AFFECTS THE WORKERS BODY STRENGTH AND COGNITIVE REACTIONS LEADING TO INJURIES, ACCIDENTS AND LOSS OF PRODUCTIVITY BUT ALSO NON-HEAT RELATED IMPACTS SUCH AS VECTOR BORN DISEASES AND CONSEQUENCES OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS.
SO THE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES RANGE FROM DEHYDRATION, INJURIES AND HEAT FATIGUE TO A HIGHER BURDEN OF RESPIRATORY AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES CATARACT, SKIN AND EYE CANCER AND WEAKENING OF IMMUNE SYSTEM.
FURTHERMORE, IT HAS ALSO BEEN ESTABLISHED THAT EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS AFFECT WORKERS INVOLVED IN EMERGENCY RESCUE AND CLEAN-UP EFFORTS DELIVERED IN HIGH RISK SITUATIONS DUE TO MORE FREQUENT FLOODS, LAND SLIDE STORMS, DROUGHT AND WILDFIRES.
IT IS IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE RISKS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY THAT A NUMBER OF COMPANIES HAVE DEVELOPED FOCUSED POLICIES TO PREVENT HARMFUL EXPOSURE OR HAZARDOUS OUT COMES IN ALL OCCUPATIONS WHERE THE RISK OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE LIVES OF EMPLOYEES ARE NOTABLE.
ZFE HAS OVER THE YEARS BEEN OFFERING TRAINING IN OSH MANAGEMENT TO ITS MEMBER COMPANIES AND NOW WITH THE IDENTIFIED IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY WE WILL DIRECT MORE EFFORTS TO SENSITIZE AND ENCOURAGE EMPLOYERS IN DIFFERENT SECTORS TO IDENTIFY THE LIKELY EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON OSH IN THEIR UNDERTAKING AND DEVISE INTERVENTIONS TO COUNTER THE IMPACTS.
GUEST OF HONOUR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN SINCE WE AS EMPLOYERS ARE WELL AWARE THAT THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE CAN VASTLY INTERFERE WITH THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE WORKERS, ZFE AND ITS EMPLOYER MEMBERS TAKE KEEN INTEREST TO DO CONSTANT ASSESSMENTS OF THESE RISKS IN ORDER TO ENHANCE THE SURVIVABILITY AND WORKABILITY OF THE WORKERS IN THE INDUSTRY.
GUEST OF HONOUR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN YOU MAY WISH TO KNOW THAT THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO) HAD ENDORSED AT ITS 60TH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY WHAT THEY CALLED THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION GLOBAL PLAN OF ACTION ON WORKERS’ HEALTH TO ENHANCE THE CAPACITY OF THE COUNTRIES TO BETTER PROTECT THE HEALTH OF WORKERS WORLDWIDE. THIS PLAN OF ACTION RAN FROM 2008-2017.
IN THE SUBSEQUENT YEARS THE WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLIES APPROVED RESOLUTIONS AND WORK PLANS ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH FOR IMPROVING HEALTH, PROTECTION AT THE WORKPLACES AND SUPPORTING A GREEN RECOVERY IN ORDER TO HELP ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ACHIEVE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. IT IS OUR CALL IN THE ZAMBIA FEDERATION OF EMPLOYERS THAT THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION THROUGH ITS FIELD OFFICES SHOULD OPEN UP DOORS TO PARTNER WITH BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANISATIONS TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS THAT ARE BEING MADE IN THE AREA OF MITIGATING THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON OSH.
GUEST OF HONOUR AS ZFE WE WISH TO REQUEST YOUR OFFICE TO REACH OUT TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION COUNTRY OFFICE AND REQUEST THEM TO MEET US IN ONE OF OUR TRIPARTITE CONSULTATIVE LABOUR COUNCIL MEETINGS AND ALLOW US TO ENGAGE THEM ON ANY POSSIBILITIES OF THEM SUPPORTING OUR EFFORTS AS WE WORK TOWARDS ATTAINING RESILIENCE ON THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON OSH.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LISTENING AND THE GOOD LORD BLESS US ALL.