Health, Safety and Environment - International Labour Organization

Manual 6:HOW TO RATIFY & USE ILO CONVENTION NO. 184ON SAFETY & HEALTH IN AGRICULTUREWhat can yourunion do? Contact the ministry (it could be Ministry of Labour or perhaps theMinistry of Agriculture) and ask for a report on the submission process.You may need to give them a copy of the ILO memorandum to remindthem of the process Contact friendly Members of Parliament (MPs) and discuss the matterwith them Talk to other unions (if any) and non-governmental organisations(NGO’s) and civil society organisations (CSOs) to see if there is anyscope for co-operation on this issue Talk to the employers and see if their organisation has a view onratification of the Convention. Even if their answer is negative, then atleast you are prepared.Lobbying and campaigning to ensure speedy ratification andcomprehensive implementation will be needed from trade unions workingin co-operation with NGOs/CSOs including raising awareness of the newstandard in farming communities everywhere.Speedy ratification and comprehensive implementation are clearly theideals but even where a country is slow to ratify, or does not ratify, theConvention and Recommendation can be used as standards on which aprogressive national agricultural safety and health policy/programme canbe based.Checklist on ratification Have the Convention & Recommendation been laid before a ‘competentauthority’ (almost always Parliament)? If not, campaign for it to be tabled Has the relevant Ministry called any tripartite meetings to discuss ratification?If not, raise that demand If your country has a federal system, has the local assembly debated the texts ofConvention and Recommendation? If the texts have been laid before Parliament, and no decision to ratify wastaken, seek to get the issue re-opened. Call for an ILO tripartite workshop as afirst step280 Health, Safety and EnvironmentA Series of Trade Union EducationManuals for Agricultural Workers