Forest work is considered among the most hazardous in the world (UNEP, 2008). The International Labour Organization (ILO, 2011) recently recommended that both training and social dialogue be improved to break the vicious circle of low productivity, low wages and high accident rates that characterize the forest sector. Among other things, it proposed that social dialogue be promoted to create an enabling environment for labour unions, employers’ associations and colective bargaining practices and to ensure that relations between workers and management are based on regular consultation and fairness on both sides. This article describes a process along these lines in Argentina’s forest sector, where the incidence rate of forest accidents was cut in half between 2004 and 2010. During this period, efforts were made to improve ongoing training and social dialogue – as per the ILO recommendation – in order to reduce the high rate of occupational accidents in the sector.

Type of Case
Printed publication (book, sourcebook, journal article…)

Publisher
FAO Unasylva 63(239): 24–30

Region
Americas

Biome
Tropical

Forest Type
All forest types (natural and planted)

Primary Designated Function
Production