Public debates: occupational safety and health control system - the impact of reforms

On May 30, 2018, the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) "Viitorul" in partnership with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Moldova (FES) organized a public debate on the impact and the negative consequences of the occupational safety and health control reform. A preliminary analysis of statistical data and reports on work-related accidents denotes a worrying situation in this area, characterized by systematic violations of health and safety requirements at work and deviations that generate a lack of security not only for employees but also for employers. Thus, several experts stressed that the reorganization of the control system was a wrong step, and the implementation of the reform is ineffective. This has generated a number of issues such as reducing the capacity of the state's control in occupational safety and health, increasing the number of work-related accidents, including deaths, diminishing employees' social rights, increasing social costs of accidents at work, etc. Also, public data reveal an increase in the number of accidents at work during the implementation of the reform, from October 2017 to present - 11 cases resulting in the death of 14 persons, 2 serious cases, 82 cases of temporary incapacity for work including serious ones, which are not investigated and solved by any authority with occupational safety competences. The event was attended by representatives of the Parliament and Government of Moldova, trade unions, civil society organizations, international organizations and mass media. The public debate was organized within the framework of the project on the monitoring of political, social processes and the formulation of policy briefs, implemented by IDIS Viitorul in partnership with FES.

For more detailed information, download the full Policy Brief