Millions of workers' health to be protected by Europe's first multisector agreement

Crystalline silica is a mineral which accounts for around 12% of the Earth's crust and is widely used in activities such as blasting, bagging and mixing materials, grinding and spray glazing. Inhaling respirable crystalline silica can lead to silicosis. Workers in most sectors involved in use of silica crystalline will be covered by today's agreement. These include aggregates, extractive industries, cement, foundries, glass industry, ceramic industry, industrial minerals, mineral wool, natural stone industry, mortar, pre-cast concrete and metalliferous minerals. Ancillary activities related to these sectors, such as handling of materials, storage and transport are also covered by the agreement.

'This is the first time an agreement covering several sectors has been negotiated by the social partners through their own procedures. I would like to congratulate them on such a worthy agreement. It will protect workers in many sectors and help them benefit from better practices, making a real difference to their working conditions,' Commissioner Špidla said.

Some 13 European employers' organisations will join the EMCEF (European Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers' Federation) and EMF (European Metalworkers' Federation), IMA Europe (European Industrial Minerals Association), Euromines (European Association of Mining Industries) to sign the agreement.

According to the agreement, 'the employers and employees and the workers' representatives will jointly make their best endeavours to implement the good practices at site level in as far as applicable'. This 'good practice' list will be subject to a permanent adaptation and updating procedure.

A monitoring committee with equal numbers of employee and employer representatives will settle questions on the application and interpretation of the agreement.

It will also write a sector-by-sector report on the application of the text which will be forwarded to their members, the European Commission and the national authorities responsible for workers' safety.

Six months after being signed, the agreement will come into force for four years and will then be renewed automatically for consecutive two-year periods. If, in future, EU legislation in relation to silica crystalline were proposed, the signatories of the agreement would meet to consider the consequences for the agreement.

Για να δείτε το κείμενο το συμφωνίας επισκεφθήτε την ιστοσελίδα της Γενικής Διεύθυνσης "Απασχόληση, Κοινωνικές Υποθέσεις και Ίσες ευκαιρίες"

Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες μπορείτε να επισκεφθήτε την ιστοσελίδα της Γενικής Διεύθυνσης για τον Κοινωνικό Διάλογο