World Day for Safety and Health at Work-‘Promoting safety and health in a green economy’ |28 April 2012
The full text of Miss Alexander’s message reads:
“Today, Seychelles joins the world once again to observe World Day for Safety and Health at Work launched by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) under this year’s theme ‘Promoting safety and health in a green economy’.
“A shift in the world to a greener economy is taking place. As this happens, the ILO is calling for all nations to ensure that safety and health at work is integrated into green jobs policies.
“The theme calls for a fair and just transition whereby those affected by the challenges are adequately assisted, and the new opportunities created are shared by employers, workers and their organisations, other social actors and the community.
“It is recognised that areas with high green jobs potential are energy efficiency, renewable energies, sustainable management of agriculture, forestry and fishery, construction, waste management and recycling as well as areas related to the adaptation to climate change impacts.
“Indeed, sustainability is high on the Seychelles National Agenda. President James Michel has declared that renewable energy as the key to the future. The Government will encourage private sector investment as well as public-private sector partnerships for the development of solar energy farms and other renewable energy projects which will bring health, environmental and financial benefits to Seychelles.
“Work has already started on the wind farm and we will soon move towards the development of solar energy farms, which are commercially viable and provide investment opportunities for Seychellois as well as foreign investors.
“In this context, in order to reap full benefits of renewable energy, we must ensure that while it seeks to protect the environment it must also be safe and healthy for workers. “Green Jobs are decent jobs created when the environmental impacts of enterprises, sectors and economies as a whole are reduced. We will this year integrate the green jobs concept into our National Occupational Safety and Health Policy which is being drafted and through collaborative efforts with all partners and stakeholders, we undertake to ensure its full implementation.
“I call on all employers investing in renewable energy to also consider integrating green job policies at their workplaces.
“I would like to wish all employers/workers and the community in general to join the Labour Department in the observance of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work and that together we continue to promote awareness for greener jobs.
“Let us strive harder to secure a safe and healthy working environment as we move towards a greener economy for Seychelles.”