2003 April 10
Dear
An Invitation to Participate in the OWTU's One Day Seminar on "Health, Safety
and the Environment"
The Oilfields Workers' Trade Union invites you/your organization to participate
in a One
Day Seminar on "Health, Safety and the Environment". This Seminar will be held
on
Wednesday April 30", 2003 at the OWTU Headquarters, Paramount Budding San
Fernando starting at 8.30 a.m.
It has long been recognized that the country's legislative framework with
respect to
health and safety is antiquated and woefully inadequate. Indeed, the first draft
Occupational Health and Safety Bill was prepared in the mid 1980's. It is quite
obvious
that the nation's very considerable economic and industrial development requires
a
modern legislative framework and regulatory mechanisms. We have lost too much
time
in doing so and as a consequence workers' health and their lives have been
un-necessarily
placed at risk. In addition, there are business costs associated with unsafe
and/or
unhealthy work environments and processes. It is therefore in everyone's
interest to have
legislation passed immediately.
The Oilfields Workers' Trade Union has therefore organized this One Day Seminar
on
"Health, Safety and the Environment" so that all stakeholders - labour,
business,
practitioners, regulatory authorities can be informed of the current status of
pertinent
legislation and focus on how we can ensure that the appropriate legislative
framework
and regulatory mechanisms are implemented with dispatch.
To this end we have assembled an impressive panel of presenters. The Seminar
will be
addressed by the Honourable Lawrence Achong, Minister of Labour and Small and
Micro Enterprise Development who will detail the status of the Draft
Occupational
Health and Safety Bill as well as the Draft Employment Injury and Disability
Benefits
Bill. This latter piece of legislation, which is to replace the outdated
Workmen's
Compensation Act, is equally necessary and will be a partner piece of
legislation to the
OSHA.
The Seminar will also be addressed by Attorney at Law Douglas Mend&8 and by a
representative of:
The National Safety Council of Trinidad and Tobago
The South Trinidad Chamber of Industry and Commerce
The Environmental Management Authority
The Oilfields Workers' Trade Union
It is to be noted that very shortly there will be the
implementation by the EMA of
regulations pertaining to water and air pollution as well as solid and hazardous
waste, all
of which relate to the issue of Occupational Health and Safety.
The Seminar agenda will be so designed to provide for sufficient time for
discussion of
all the pertinent issues as well as to enable the organizers to develop an
action plan that
will see the legislative framework established.
The cost of participation in the Seminar is TT $300.00 per participant and this
includes
lunch, coffee breaks and documents. Attached please find a Registration Form and
we
encourage you/your organization to register by April 25th. Organizations may be
represented by more than one person.
This promises to be a very valuable and timely seminar and we therefore
anticipate your
participation!
Yours faithfully,
Signed Errol K. Mc Leod
President General