Research reveals the hazards of work
The results of a study of working conditions made by the Dublin foundation were revealed at the 'Working without limits?' conference on 25 to 27 September in Brussels, revealing an alarming rise in work intensification. The conference, on the impact of work organisation on workers' health, was organised by the 'European trade union technical bureau for health and safety' (TUTB) and SALTSA, a research programme by the Swedish national institute for working life. It brought together scientists and trade unionists from EU member states and beyond. The Dublin Foundation's survey not only confirmed that work intensification is on the rise for the majority of workers, but that work-related complaints, specifically MSD and stress, are escalating. The situation is particularly bad for those in non-standard employment, such as subcontracting, part-time work, fixed-term contracts and older workers. 'When we started our survey ten years ago, we thought that work-related ill health was a thing of the past. But now, with new types of work and work organisation we have not just the burden of the old problems, but also new work-related disorders on top', said Pascal Pauli, head of research at the European Foundation. The physical risk factor is as high as it ever was, and new health problems like stress disorders and burnout are on the rise. Despite a long history of debates on the issue, safety in the workplace has also failed to improve. Studies put the toll of serious or fatal work accidents in the EU at 10,000 a year. The final panel discussion at the conference, between European politicians and trade unionists, underlined the importance of regulation and negotiation in the field, and also criticised employers for failing to implement the 1989 EU framework directive rules on worker participation, and risk assessments, which cover work organisation. Anna-Ekström, Under-Secretary of State for the Swedish ministry of industry confirmed that working conditions will be a 'big issue during the Swedish presidency next spring'.