• 2020-03-19

Necessary Emergency Intervention of the Labour Inspectorate

Notice issued by the FCD responding to increased number of violations of workers’ safety rights

Protecting workers’ rights poses a major challenge these days - it is important to safeguard all economic activities that can continue to operate during the epidemic in order to preserve jobs and thereby ensure worker livelihoods. However, if workers are not protected, are exposed to the dangers of this contagious virus and/or exhausted from working overtime, the survival of countless companies will be brought into question, but most importantly, workers’ health and the health of their families may be severely compromised.

At this critical hour, the level of responsibility of the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Policy is heightened as the situation in the field indicates a need for emergency action to be taken by the Labour Inspectorate. Inspections are most needed in places where large numbers of people are working in closed spaces without protective equipment. It is important to the public to know whether or not the number of labour inspectors will be increased under these conditions. What plan of action does the Inspectorate propose? The Law on Occupational Health and Safety and the Law on Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases must be applied without exception, and inspectoral supervision executed in a preventative and coordinated manner, in line with the Law on Inspection Supervision, independent of whether or not small or large enterprises, domestic or foreign investors are in question.

Center for Democracy Foundation