The General Assembly,
Acknowledging the allure of good intentions and strong advocacy for the rights and welfare of working people everywhere, yet
Horrified that GA 7 cripples the work of emergency and medical personnel, encourages less protection for workers, and strains and burdens businesses with onerous requirements that do not make them safer, and
Considering the removal of a misguided resolution that endangers countless lives and makes the world even less safe than it was before to be of the utmost importance,
Finds as follows:
- The target resolution defines an employee "as any individual who performs a task or tasks for compensation that is not self employed, employed in law enforcement, or in the military." This definition does not extend exceptions to individuals employed in roles that are not law enforcement or military but can still entail the individual putting themselves in danger as part of their job responsibilities, such as firefighters, rescue workers, first responders, and medical professionals encountering novel diseases or on the frontlines of a pandemic.
- This is highly problematic given clause 11 of the target, which requires "that employees not enter or remain at a workplace when their ability to work safely is impaired to the point of endangering themselves or those around them." Since aforementioned non-exempt employees can find themselves in situations where their ability to work safely is so impaired as part of their regular job responsibilities, the target severely compromises the ability of those and similar employees to do their jobs. This is especially inexcusable if the work in question involves saving lives.
- The target’s second clause guaranteeing "the right of all employees to a safe working environment" is highly problematic for similar reasons, given that employees who find themselves in unsafe situations as part of their regular job responsibilities by definition cannot be guaranteed the right to a safe working environment without it dealing a body blow to their ability to do their jobs.
- Section 3 of the target requires "that all chemicals be properly labeled, and that safety information be easily accessible in all workplaces pertaining to the chemical," with a non-exhaustive list of such safety information. The chemicals don’t actually need to be dangerous, or reasonably dangerous, or have a reasonable risk of being dangerous, or similar language. This turns a seemingly innocuous provision into a sweeping, invasive mandate that ensnares perfectly safe chemicals it has no business covering, imposing a steep and unnecessary compliance burden.
- The problematic and highly invasive requirements imposed by the target incentivize governments, workplaces, and individuals who do not wish to be compromised by them to shift roles to a self-employed status, particularly if those roles entail being in unsafe conditions as part of regular job responsibilities. This denies people working in those roles protections under international law such as GA 543 "Protecting the Rights of Labour Unions" and can also degrade their protections under national law.
- Other, more recent, better written resolutions protecting workers render the target unnecessary even in the absence of the critical flaws detailed in this repeal. While the target may have served an important role once, this august body has long since outgrown it:
Therefore, with the conviction that redundant workplace safety resolutions should at the very least avoid crippling entire industries, and
Acknowledging that the bar is underground, this body repeals GA 7 "Workplace Safety Standards Act."
Co-author:
Pallaith
