Friday 19, November, 2004
14:30 - 16:00, No.2 Conference Room
Workshop A
Asian Network: Scope and Action
Chairs: Sugio Furuya and Tushar Kant Joshi
OHSEI, the Asian Workers' Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Institute
Jesper Christensen
Asian Workers Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Institute (OHSEI), Thailand [not- attended, paper submission]
ABSTRACT
OHSEI, the Asian Workers' Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Institute, was established in February 2000 and is based in Bangkok.
OHSEI is the occupational health, safety and environment agency for the International Unions in Asia.
Its member organisations are:
- ICFTU-APRO
- Education International (EI)
- International Federation of Building and Woodworkers (IFBWW)
- International Metalworkers Federation (IMF)
- International Textile, Garment and Leatherworkers Federation (ITGLWF)
- Public Services International (PSI)
- Union Network International (UNI)
Mission:
- To improve the working conditions of workers throughout Asia.
- To promote environment-friendly and sustainable industry.
Core-activities:
- OSH-training and research throughout Asia.
- An annual Theme Conference for trade unions, academics and NGOs in the region.
- Dissemination of information via Web-site (www.Ohseinstitute.org) and newsletters
- Developing and maintaining active networks in support of OSHE-activities.
- Fund Raising
OHSEI and Asbestos:
As the International Unions agency on Occupational Safety, Health and Environment, OHSEI has a strong role to play to guide the Trade Unions on how to deal with Asbestos
For OHSEI there is two issues that need to be addressed, i.e. how can the unions mobilize a ban on asbestos and how can the union ensure that the workers have been trained work with asbestos safely.
OHSEI will seek to:
- Screen the various unions in Asia's attempt to ban asbestos and display the outcome on OHSEI's website.
- Produce a catalogue on campaigns that have been successful.
- Prepare information material on safe work techniques dealing with asbestos.
- Prepare training programmes and manuals.
- Prepare guidelines to unions on how to carry out campaigns with the aim to inform the workers on risk and hazard while working with Asbestos.
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