Azernews.Az

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

Safety guidelines are among the key elements of each industry as they deal with human life and health. Therefore, safe labor and employment protection are key rights of all workers irrespective of the field they are engaged in.

Do the industries provide these basic rights of their employees? To make sure about this issue, inspectors of Azerbaijan's State Labor Inspectorate tried to check up the current status of labor protection during the Safe Week campaign that started in mid-September.

The growing construction industry in Azerbaijan has opened up new possibilities for development in the country. Every citizen is proud of the contemporary image of Baku and other cities with various splendid buildings. However, the developing industry, at the same time, discloses the problems in the field, particularly, problems linked to the labor protection.

Labor protection is a system of the technological, sanitary, hygienic, and legal measures directly aimed at ensuring working conditions that are not harmful to human life and health.

Labor Code of Azerbaijan thoroughly states that the workers have the right to work in a safe and healthy conditions. It puts the responsibility on the employers to create the safe working circumstances for the workers.

The Deputy Head of the State Labor Inspectorate, Maharram Maharov, told AzerNews on September 19 that the main purpose of the monitoring was to control the execution of the labor protection requirements in the construction sites.

"The inspections revealed several violations of labor requirements in the construction sites. Employers didn't supplied the workers with the items of protection and special uniforms, shoes and helmets," Maharov said.

He added that the works were suspended at eleven different companies due to life-threatening circumstances. The works would be resumed until the safe work atmosphere is created at those sites.

"Those companies have been fined over $20,000 based on a recent legislation. We will continue our inspections. Several companies have just received warnings through mandatory written notifications to remove the shortages," Maharov noted.

Azerbaijan's Labor Code restricts the employers to allow the workers to work at open air workplaces when the air temperature is above 45 Celsius in the hot season of the year, while below 14 Celsius in the cold times. Thus, the employers breaching these requirements are fined and held criminally liable.

Maharov said the monitoring also involves foreign companies, which are engaged in construction activities in Azerbaijan.

He added that the State Labor Inspectorate organizes the weekly campaigns in each quarter of the year. The inspectors also carry out daily inspections in Baku and Sumgait.

Maharov noted that the State Labor Inspectorate is pressing ahead with several international measures in the field of labor protection. "Our employees are attending training courses in different countries including, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria and Russia."

Maharov said the Inspectorate will continue its regular monitoring in manufacturing industries in an effort to strengthen the labor protection system.