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15 February, 2018IndustriALL Global Union and AngloAmerican met in Johannesburg, South Africa, 8 February, to discuss how they can work together to build trust on safe and healthy workplaces at Anglo American operations around the world. The initiative will create leading and best practice on safety and health in the global mining industry
The meeting was attended by delegates from IndustriALL affiliates from Australia, Botswana, Chile, Namibia and South Africa, and lead senior health and safety managers at Anglo American globally, discussed ways to stop accidents that often led to injuries and death of mine workers. Health effects of occupational diseases were also discussed.
AngloAmerican is a signatory to international protocols such as of the United Nations Global Compact and ILO conventions. The initiative, for instance, commits Anglo American to the International Labour Organization Convention 176 on Safety and Health in Mines. The initiative also commit Anglo American to using its influence to leverage joint country shareholder partners to ratify ILO Convention 176 such as in Botswana,Chile, and Namibia.
As part of the collaboration, training will be conducted on awareness and workers’ rights, hazards, risk analysis, and critical control management. Those who will attend the training will include workers, safety representatives, supervisors and managers.
The collaboration will address real daily experiences at workplaces in the global mining industry as well as integrate with the companies’ human resources policies. It aims to create a new health and safety culture across the business.
“Safety and health should be demonstrated even when no one is watching. Everyone is a custodian, and managers and supervisors should be accountable. Contractors who violate safety procedures should be accountable”, Says Michael Parker, Head of Group Safety, Operational Risk and Insurance at AngloAmerican.
Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL mining director adds: “Integrity is non-negotiable. We are calling for a global collective bargaining agreement which will provide guarantees and safeguards on safety and health that should include downstream sectors across the supply chain. A safety culture practice should be institutionalized.”