68 deaths at work

Fatal accidents at work and occupational diseases have increased by 10.2% in the Basque Autonomous Community and by 16.7% in the Foral Community of Navarra according to the occupational health report jointly presented by the trade unions ELA, LAB, Steilas, EHNE and Hiru.

In 2021 there were at least 48 deaths in the CAV and 20 in Navarra, “very negative data that continues the trend of previous years”. As they have pointed out, “despite the restrictions and restrictions in 2021 stemming from the pandemic, which have had very negative consequences, both socially and at work, the number of accidents at work has increased significantly”.

In addition, according to the report, last year in the CAV, at least 205 people suffered an accident at work, while 30 suffered in Navarra.

With regard to occupational diseases, the unions have again denounced the “under-registration in official statistics”. “At least 12 people have died from asbestos-related pathologies, but many are not classified as occupational diseases, so the official statistics do not match the reality at all,” they explain.

The official statistics on fatal accidents at work also differ. In the CAV, the official statistics number 35 (compared to the 48 counted by the unions), and in Navarra 13 (compared to 20). In any case, it is also an increase compared to 2020.

26% of the fatalities were non-traumatic, 14% from falls from a height, 22% while traveling and 28% from entrapment or a blow. In addition, 19% of the people were subcontractors and 15.6% were carriers.

The industrial sector is the sector with the most fatal accidents at work, accounting for 44% of the total, followed by the service sector (28%) and the construction sector (11%). According to the unions, a “special mention” deserves the forestry sector, where 6 workers have died, 13% of the total. A fisherman, a worker in the agricultural sector, 17 people from exposure to asbestos and 10 porters have also died.

Likewise, they have remembered the journalists murdered in Burkina Faso, not registered in their statistics.

For the trade union federations, the data on accidents at work in Euskadi and Navarra are “incomprehensible”, and “even more so given that All accidents and occupational diseases can be avoided if sufficient technical and human resources are deployed.“, but, as they have complained, “it’s here where another year continues to fail”.

In that sense, the unions have denounced that “not enough money is allocated to cover the necessary investments so that the working class has sufficient safety in the workplace.”

Companies are “reluctant to spend on prevention to provide basic measures to their templates”

In addition, they have censored that companies are “reluctant to spend money on prevention in order to provide basic measures to their staff because they do not benefit from the money invested.”

Likewise, they have complained that governments “are not changing policies aimed at prevention that have been shown to be ineffective, nor are they increasing staffing levels to ensure adequate levels of prevention in companies.”

For this reason, they have asked for an extension of the technical staff at both the Labor Inspectorate and Osalan. They are asking for an additional 100 technicians in the CAV and 50 more in Navarra, “to align with the European Union.” They also stressed that “companies with significant risks or many accidents are closely investigated”.

“Until this changes, as long as the insecurity in companies is not eradicated, more than fifty workers will die every year in Hego Euskal Herria. They will confront us to denounce it and demand structural changes that affect health and guaranteeing life for the working class,” they concluded.