Does unionization and working under collective agreements promote health?

Health promoters recognize the social determinants of health (SDOH) shape health outcomes yet generally neglect how unionization and collective agreements (CAs) shape these SDOH. This is surprising since extensive evidence indicates unions and CAs influence wages and benefits, job security, working conditions and income inequality, which go on to affect additional SDOH of food and housing security, child development and social exclusion. We argue unions and CAs should be a health promotion focus by examining how they influence the SDOH and health outcomes in wealthy developed nations in four ways. First, we consider how union density (UD) and CA coverage (CAC) are associated with differences between wealthy western nations in percentage of low-waged workers, extent of income inequality, and low birthweight and infant mortality rates. Second, we bring together literature that shows greater UD and CAC within national sub-jurisdictions are associated over time with more equitable distribution of the SDOH and better health outcomes. Third, we document-also using available literature-how within nations, union membership and working under a CA shape the SDOH one experiences. Fourth, we carry out a Canadian case study-applying a political economy lens-to examine how power relations, working through economic and political systems, determine extent of unionization and CAC and the inclination of health promoters to consider these issues. Implications for health promoters are considered.

A saúde do trabalhador offshore: uma análise sanitarista sobre a realidade das negociações coletivas do trabalho em alto-mar / The health of the offshore worker: a sanitarian analysis of the reality of collective negotiations on the high seas

Considerando como tema central a saúde do trabalhador, o objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar a realidade das negociações coletivas do trabalho em alto-mar, avaliando como hipótese a fragilidade no controle do poder público sobre o processo produtivo como limite da efetividade de uma realidade em prol da saúde e segurança dos trabalhadores e trabalhadoras desse setor. Para isso, foram pontuados os seguintes objetivos específicos: a) apresentar distintas concepções e valorações do trabalho humano através das perspectivas sanitarista, ocupacional e previdenciária; b) apontar como a saúde do trabalhador offshore se organiza e vem sendo estruturada; c) elencar quais são os principais atores, práticas, possibilidades e obstáculos na consolidação do controle público na garantia de direitos do trabalhador offshore; d) pautar limites e possibilidades contidos nas negociações (acordos e convenções) no âmbito de acidentes e adoecimentos decorrentes da relação laboral da categoria; e e) analisar aspectos do acidente ocorrido no dia 11 de fevereiro de 2015 na unidade estacionária de produção, armazenamento e transferência de óleo e exportação de gás da empresa BW Offshore denominada Cidade de São Mateus (FPSO CDSM), que na ocasião era afretada pela Petrobras. Assim sendo, o leitor poderá observar detalhes a respeito do mercado de petróleo e gás, tais como sua importância no contexto econômico nacional, a inserção massiva da terceirização nas relações de trabalho e prestação de serviços dessa cadeia produtiva, além das representações sindicais desse universo laborativo em específico. Será possível, ainda, compreender as diferentes concepções de saúde do trabalhador, que revelam as abordagens e os interesses diversos no campo teórico-prático quando o assunto é a saúde e a segurança no ambiente laborativo, além de se familiarizar com aspectos garantidores ou vulnerabilizantes de direitos frente às negociações coletivas entre os representantes sindicais dos trabalhadores offshore da empresa BW Offshore. Por fim, será possível observar uma análise e tentativa de compreensão mais ampla do acidente supracitado, sob a ótica do déficit de controle público sobre os processos produtivos empresariais e, por consequência, da manutenção da inobservância do Estado em mediar essas relações. (AU)

Considering workers' health as a central theme, the objective of this study was to analyze the reality of collective negotiations on the high seas work, considering as a hypothesis the fragility in the control of the public power over the productive process as a limit of the effectiveness of a reality in favor of the health and safety of workers in this sector. For this, the following specific objectives were scored: a) To present different conceptions and valuations of human work through the sanitarian, occupational and social security perspectives; b) To point out how the health of the offshore worker is organized and has been structured; c) List the main actors, practices, possibilities and obstacles in consolidating public control in guaranteeing the rights of offshore workers; d) To guide limits and possibilities contained in the negotiations (agreements and conventions) in the context of accidents and illnesses resulting from the employment relationship of the category; e) Analyzing aspects of the accident that occurred on February 11, 2015, at the stationary production, storage, and oil and gas export unit of the company BW Offshore, known as Cidade de São Mateus (FPSO CDSM), which was chartered by Petrobras. Thus, the reader will be able to observe details about the oil and gas market, such as its importance in the national economic context, the massive insertion of outsourcing in labor relations and provision of services to this production chain, in addition to the union representations of this specific labor universe. It will be possible to understand the different conceptions of workers' health, which reveal the diverse interests and approaches in the theoretical and practical field regarding health and safety in the workplace. Additionally, the reader will be able to become acquainted with aspects that guarantee or undermine rights vulnerable during collective negotiations between the union representatives of offshore workers at BW Offshore. It will be also possible to observe an analysis and attempt at a broader understanding of the aforementioned accident, understood from the perspective of the deficit of public control over the business production processes, and consequently the maintenance of the State's non-observance in mediating these relations. (AU)

Managing and sustaining an ageing nursing workforce: identifying opportunities and best practices within collective agreements in Canada.

AIM: This paper seeks to identify gaps within nursing collective agreements for opportunities to implement practices to sustain the nursing workforce. BACKGROUND: Since the majority of nurses in Canada are unionised, some of the strategies recommended in the literature to cope with nursing shortage may not apply to unionised nurses, making collective agreements a potential source for designing practices that can mitigate the impact of ageing nurses. METHOD: Nine major collective agreements for registered nurses in each province governing the nursing employment relationship were analysed to see if different practices were already addressed in the collective agreements. RESULTS: Five such practices were identified, including: providing more mentorship opportunities; encouraging nurses who are eligible to retire to remain in the nursing workforce; attracting internationally trained nurses; implementing operational changes that include process improvements or new technologies; and empowering nurses through flexibility in work schedules. CONCLUSION: If collective agreements are silent in any of the strategies identified in the literature, health-care organisations can adopt these practices without violating the collective agreements. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Non-unionised health-care organisations can also benefit from learning about these policies and practices to assist in managing and sustaining an ageing nursing workforce.

Bargaining for health: a case study of a collective agreement-based health program for manual workers.

This paper examines the short- and medium-term effects of the PensionDanmark Health Scheme, the largest privately administered health program for workers in Denmark, which provides prevention and early management of work-related injuries. We use a difference-in-differences approach that exploits a natural variation in the program rollout across collective agreement areas in the construction sector and over time. The results show only little evidence of an effect on the prevention of injuries requiring medical attention in the first 3 years after the program was introduced. Despite this, we find evidence of significant positive effects on several labor market outcomes, suggesting that the program enables some work-injured individuals to maintain their work and earnings capacity. In view of its low costs, the program appears to be cost-effective overall.

El tratamiento de la violencia laboral en las organizaciones públicas: análisis de la incorporación de la temática en convenios colectivos de trabajo / The treatment of labor violence in public organizations: analysis of the incorporation of the thematic in collective agreements

Este artículo se enmarca en el Plan: "Situaciones de acoso en los procesos de trabajo: aproximación a homogeneidades y diferencias en organizaciones públicas y privadas", beca doctoral CONICET de la Lic. Cebey, dirección: Dra. Ferrari. El objetivo general es explorar, identiicar y analizar componentes y factores subjetivos, interaccionales y organizacionales comprometidos en la producción expresa o potencial de situaciones de acoso dentro de los procesos de trabajo. Constituye una línea de investigación dentro del Proyecto UBACyT P015: "Riesgos psicosociales de los trabajadores. Efectos subjetivos e intersubjetivos de la precarización laboral", dirigido por la Dra. Filippi. Para esta comunicación, se analiza la forma en que algunas organizaciones públicas han incorporado el tema de la violencia laboral en sus Convenios Colectivos de Trabajo (período 2004-2008). Se presentan acercamientos y distancias en cuanto a deiniciones del concepto, formas que la violencia laboral adopta, así como su expresión, naturaleza, frecuencia y consecuencias.

This article is framed in the Plan: "Harassment situations in working processes: approach to homogeneities and differences in public and private organizations", CONICET doctoral scholarship granted to Cebey, direction: Ferrari. The general aim is to explore, identify and analyze subjective, interactional and organizational components and factors compromised in the express or potential production of harassment within working processes. It constitutes a line of investigation within UBACyT Project P015: "Workers' psycho-social risks. Subjective and intersubjective effects of labor precarization", directed by Filippi. For this communication, we analyze the form in which some public organizations have incorporated the subject of labor violence in their Collective Agreements (period 2004-2008). We present proximities and distances regarding deinitions of the concept, the form that labor violence adopts as well as its expression, nature, frequency and consequences.