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AGENDA 21, CHAPTER 29



STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF WORKERS AND THEIR TRADE UNIONS






NOTE:     This is a final, advanced version of a chapter of Agenda 21, as adopted by
          the Plenary in Rio de Janeiro, on June 14, 1992.  This document will be
          further edited, translated into the official languages, and published by the
          United Nations for the General Assembly this autumn.





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                        PROGRAMME AREA

Basis for action

29.1.  Efforts to implement sustainable development will 
involve adjustments and opportunities at the national and 
enterprise levels, with workers foremost among those 
concerned.  As their representatives, trade unions are vital 
actors in facilitating the achievement of sustainable 
development in view of their experience in addressing 
industrial change, the extremely high priority they give to 
protection of the working environment and the related natural 
environment, and their promotion of socially responsible and 
economic development.  The existing network of collaboration 
among trade unions and their extensive membership provide 
important channels through which the concepts and practices of 
sustainable development can be supported.  The established 
principles of tripartism provide a basis for strengthened 
collaboration between workers and their representatives, 
Governments and employers in the implementation of sustainable 
development.

Objectives

29.2.  The overall objective is poverty alleviation and full 
and sustainable employment, which contribute to safe, clean and 
healthy environments - the working environment, the community 
and the physical environment.  Workers should be full 
participants in the implementation and evaluation of activities 
related to Agenda 21.

29.3.  To that end the following objectives are proposed for 
accomplishment by the year 2000:

     (a)  To promote ratification of relevant conventions of 
ILO and the enactment of legislation in support of those 
conventions;

     (b)  To establish bipartite and tripartite mechanisms on 
safety, health and sustainable development;

     (c)  To increase the number of environmental collective 
agreements aimed at achieving sustainable development;

     (d)  To reduce occupational accidents, injuries and 
diseases according to recognized statistical reporting 
procedures;

     (e)  To increase the provision of workers' education, 
training and retraining, particularly in the area of 
occupational health and safety and environment.

Activities

(a)  Promoting freedom of association

29.4.  For workers and their trade unions to play a full and 
informed role in support of sustainable development, 
Governments and employers should promote the rights of 
individual workers to freedom of association and the protection 
of the right to organize as laid down in ILO conventions.  
Governments should consider ratifying and implementing those 
conventions, if they have not already done so.

(b)  Strengthening participation and consultation 

29.5.  Governments, business and industry should promote the 
active participation of workers and their trade unions in 
decisions on the design, implementation and evaluation of 
national and international policies and programmes on 
environment and development, including employment policies, 
industrial strategies, labour adjustment programmes and 
technology transfers.

29.6.  Trade unions, employers and Governments should cooperate 
to ensure that the concept of sustainable development is 
equitably implemented.

29.7.  Joint (employer/worker) or tripartite 
(employer/worker/Government) collaborative mechanisms at the 
workplace, community and national levels should be established 
to deal with safety, health and environment, including special 
reference to the rights and status of women in the workplace.

29.8.  Governments and employers should ensure that workers and 
their representatives are provided with all relevant 
information to enable effective participation in these 
decision-making processes.

29.9.  Trade unions should continue to define, develop and 
promote policies on all aspects of sustainable development.

29.10.  Trade unions and employers should establish the 
framework for a joint environmental policy, and set priorities 
to improve the working environment and the overall 
environmental performance of enterprise.

29.11.  Trade unions should:

     (a)  Seek to ensure that workers are able to participate 
in environmental audits at the workplace and in environmental 
impact assessments;

     (b)  Participate in environment and development activities 
within the local community and promote joint action on 
potential problems of common concern;

     (c)  Play an active role in the sustainable development 
activities of international and regional organizations, 
particularly within the United Nations system.

(c)  Provide adequate training

29.12.  Workers and their representatives should have access to 
adequate training to augment environmental awareness, ensure 
their safety and health, and improve their economic and social 
welfare.  Such training should ensure that the necessary skills 
are available to promote sustainable livelihoods and improve 
the working environment.  Trade unions, employers, Governments 
and international agencies should cooperate in assessing 
training needs within their respective spheres of activity.  
Workers and their representatives should be involved in the 
design and implementation of worker training programmes 
conducted by employers and Governments.

Means of implementation

(a)  Financial and cost evaluation

29.13.  The UNCED Secretariat has estimated the average total 
annual cost (1993-2000) of implementing the activities of this 
chapter to be about $300 million from the international 
community on grant or concessional terms.  These are indicative 
and order of magnitude estimates only and have not been 
reviewed by governments.  Actual costs and financial terms, 
including any that are non-concessional, will depend upon, 
inter alia, the specific strategies and programmes governments 
decide upon for implementation.

(b)  Capacity-building

29.14.  Particular attention should be given to strengthening 
the capacity of each of the tripartite social partners 
(Governments and employers' and workers' organizations) to 
facilitate greater collaboration towards sustainable 
development.

.
