This European week for safety and health at work, trade unions are calling for swift EU action to address the rising tide of burnouts and work related stress.
The EU’s health and safety agency, EU OSHA, is using the week to highlight its campaign for ‘safe and healthy work in the digital age’.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) highlights that this laudable objective won’t be achievable without the following legislative initiatives:
- A directive on telework and the right to disconnect, is urgently needed to ensure new working practices are not detrimental to workers. People regularly working from home are six times more likely to work in their free time. Working people need swift action to bring in crucial protections. The legislative process must not be further delayed and the ETUC is calling for the second stage consultation to be brought forward now.
- A directive to combat stress at work, which is the cause of over 40% of cases of depression in the EU and UK and costs the European economy €620 billion a year. Despite that, fewer than 40% of EU workplaces have action plans to prevent psychosocial risks. This initiative will be crucial to deliver safe workplaces, free of violence and harassment.
- A directive dedicated to AI at work, which will uphold the ‘human in control’ principle. That is required after the Artificial Intelligence Act included a loophole which leaves workers’ safety and fundamental rights at risk.
ETUC Confederal Secretary Giulio Romani said:
“Technology is rapidly changing the way we work and our laws need to keep pace for that change to take place in a way that’s not damaging to workers’ physical and mental health.
“Artificial intelligence is already widely used across the economy and we need a directive which guarantees it is used in a way that respects the safety, health, privacy and human rights of workers.
“Too many bosses are abusing AI to exert Orwellian surveillance over workers, whether they’re in the workplace or working from home. These practices, along with an always on call culture and insecure work, are why Europe now has a stress epidemic, while the well-being of workers should be the first element of competitiveness for Europe in international competition.
“The Commission needs to get the directive on telework and the right to disconnect over the line, as well as bringing forward new legislative to tackle the very serious but often overlooked psychosocial risks in the workplace.
“While this week is important in raising awareness of safe and healthy work in the digital age, what workers really want and need is action to achieve to make that a reality in their workplace.”
