ILO-backed talks target port safety |25 August 2005

Launched on Tuesday August 23, by the Minister for Economic Planning & Employment, Jacquelin Dugasse, the workshop's government, employer and employee representatives have been charged with drawing up draft guidelines for improved safety, principally at Port Victoria, but extending to the rest of the country's docks.

"While modernisation and changes in cargo handling systems and methods have resulted in significant improvements in safety they have equally introduced new hazards," said Minister Dugasse at the opening of the ILO-funded workshop.

From January to May this year four occupational deaths were recorded, one occurring at the port and, according to Minister Dugasse, 30 percent of all reported occupational accidents during the last five years have also been at the port.

Describing human resources as, "our most valuable asset," the minister said that the workshop would develop strategies to address issues relating to the efficiency, productivity, competitiveness, environment, health and safety in the port.

Although emphasis was laid on the tripartite nature of the workshop, and representatives of Seychelles' two main trades unions – the Seychelles Federation of Workers Union and the Seychelles National Trades Union – were present, the vast majority of the port workforce, especially the stevedore casual labourers, is not unionised.

Speaking to journalists at the workshop, Leslie Boniface, the director general for Labour Relations, said that stevedore representatives had attended pre-workshop discussions where initial proposals had been put forward.

Mr Boniface said that the workshop is expected to come up with further draft health and safety proposals ahead of the possible ratification of the ILO's convention 152 on dock work health and safety regulations.

Launched in 1979, ILO convention 152 has not been ratified in Seychelles, but Mr Boniface said that most of the regulations set out in the document are already being met at Port Victoria and by the ships which visit it.