Kamla calls for OSHA action

Persad-Bissessar last Friday presented a petition in Parliament on behalf of All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Trade Union President Rudranath Indarsingh and labourer Brian Julien of Diamond Village, San Fernando.

A UNC party release stated said because the institutions and machinery have not been established, “there is no adequate provision to provide for the protection and conferring of rights on workers and duties and obligations unto employers to give full expression” of the law. The release said there has been an increase in fatal industrial accidents taking place across industrial sectors involving unregulated contract work in conditions of poor health and safety standards.

The petition of the union expressed concern “that workers continue to be exposed to the high risk of serious injury and resulting death as a result of widespread violations of health and safety codes and standards by delinquent employers.”

The petition said industrial disasters resulted from a failure to implement health and safety laws passed in Parliament and to put in place all the relevant machinery for labour inspection and monitoring of the occupational health and safety laws in TT.

It called for Montano to “take immediate steps to implement the law” which was passed in Parliament.

According to the UNC, the petition presented by Persad-Bissesar was the first time in a decade that the Opposition has used this mechanism in the Standing Orders of Parliament to bring the plight of citizens to the House.

OSHA replaced the Factories Ordinance of 1948. It was passed in the House of Representatives on December 5, 2003 and in the Senate on January 13, 2004. The Act was proclaimed Law on February 10.