USCIB Advocates for US business Priorities at Key Meeting on Occupational Safety and Health

Employer representatives/experts from Australia, Spain, Madagascar, Argentina, and Nigeria, and Jose Arroyo.

Jose Arroyo, Manager, Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs at USCIB, advocated for US business priorities at the International Labour Organization (ILO) Experts Meeting on Extreme Weather Events and Changing Weather Patterns, taking place this week in Geneva. The meeting conclusions are expected to be reached this Friday, April 24.

The ILO is developing—for the first time—a set of recommendations for governments, employers, and workers on best practices related to occupational safety and health (OSH) in the context of extreme weather events. This meeting is timely, as extreme weather events pose occupational risks, and there is a growing need for ILO frameworks to reflect this reality.

“USCIB, as the US employer representative, is working to ensure that the conclusions are practical for employers and assign appropriate responsibilities to governments for events that are largely outside the employers’ control,” said Arroyo. “USCIB strongly advocated to ensure that the expectations, scope, and costs of OSH policies do not fall inappropriately on employers.”

USCIB also stressed the US business perspective, highlighting that governments, including with respect to their own employees, should have a clear and practical set of rules with the same standards as the private sector. Specifically, policies should also recognize the support governments must provide to help ensure business continuity during these weather-related events.