Observation (CEACR) - adoptée 2014, publiée 104ème session CIT (2015)

Convention (n° 155) sur la sécurité et la santé des travailleurs, 1981 - Suède (Ratification: 1982)

The Committee notes the observations of the Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO) received on 21 November 2013.

The Committee also notes the joint observations made by the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees (TCO), the LO and the Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations (SACO), received on 10 November 2014. The Committee requests the Government to provide its comments in this respect.

Article 4(1) of the Convention. National policy. Consultations. The Committee notes the observations from the LO according to which the Government does not fulfil the requirements of this Article with regard to the consultation of the most representative organizations of employers and workers, as the tripartite meetings are not organized on a frequent basis, are mainly informative and are not focused sufficiently on policy matters. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on the tripartite consultations held with regard to the national policy, including on their frequency and outcome, in light of the observations of the LO.

Article 9(1). Adequate and appropriate system of labour inspection to secure the enforcement of laws and regulations concerning occupational safety and health (OSH). The Committee notes the observations from the LO according to which the number of workplaces that the Work Environment Authority (WEA) is responsible to inspect increased by 194,133 workplaces during the 2007–12 period, and the number of workers increased from 3,952,507 (2007) to 4,227,711 (2012), while the number of inspectors declined from 359 to 250. The LO observes that due to the fact that the number of workers per inspector has risen to 16,991, whereas the ILO recommends one inspector per 10,000 workers, inspectors are therefore exposed to stress in relation to the number of inspections carried out by the WEA and the Government. In light of the observations by the LO, the Government is requested to provide information on the measures taken in practice to ensure that OSH laws and regulations are enforced by an adequate and appropriate system of inspection.

Application of the Convention in practice. The Committee notes the initiatives taken by the WEA, during the reporting period, for the prevention of stress-related illnesses and musculoskeletal disorders, including online interactive training programmes on stress in the workplace and on ergonomics for the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders and themed pages on these topics, available on the WEA website. Other measures include the revision and entry into force of provisions on ergonomics for the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders, which introduced stipulations on manual handling (EU Directive 90/269/EEC), the drawing up of provisions on unhealthy workloads, and the carrying out by the WEA of numerous activities in 2009–11 focusing on violence and threats in the workplace, in conjunction with inspection initiatives focused on the retail sector. It also notes the observations by the LO according to which all types of occupational accidents have increased in 2012, except commuting accidents, especially for young workers between the ages of 16 and 24 (annual increase of 17 per cent), and that there has also been an increase in the number of cases of occupational diseases. The LO also indicates that reports on psychosocial problems in the workplace have significantly increased in recent years and that there are currently no binding rules for employers in this regard, despite this being one of the biggest work-related issues in Sweden. In light of the observations by the LO, the Government is also requested to provide information on measures taken to address the increase in the number of occupational accidents and diseases, including stress-related illnesses, and on the impact of these measures.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.