ARCC - Johannesburg Summit Calls Clean Water a Human Right

European Chemical Labour and Management Pledge Joint Action on Responsible Care

June, 2003

This report is from the European publication Environment Watch

Chemical workers, employers and industry representatives have pledged joint action to improve the sector's environmental and health and safety performance. The European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC), the European Chemical Employers Groups (ECEG) and the European Miners, Chemical and Energy Workers' Federation (EMCEF), announced on April 30 their joint "Memorandum of Understanding on Responsible Care." The agreement establishes a framework for the union to contribute to the future development of Responsible Care in Europe, the process set up in 1985 to promote continuous improvement in the chemical industry's safety, health and environmental performance. The three parties will set up a "Joint Monitoring Group" with six representatives from EMCEF, and six from ECEG and CEFIC, to meet twice a year to review progress and exchange information. The group's work is expected to include reviewing improvement in the EU's 15 current member states, helping workers and firms in candidate countries as well as developing training and education practices.

ARCC Comment: ARCC applauds this cooperation. In the late 1990s, ARCC members helped to initiate what soon became an international effort to reach agreement on chlorine chemistry issues between the World Chlorine Council (WCC) and the International Federation of Chemical, Mine, Energy and General Workers' Unions (ICEM - the global union federation representing chemical worker unions). The WCC-ICEM effort itself evolved into a larger effort to reach labor-management consensus on Responsible Care between the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA - the global association of chemical manufacturer trade groups) and the ICEM. The new "Memorandum of Understanding" between European labor and management represents the most substantial progress achieved to date on labor-management cooperation in the Responsible Care arena.