5th India-EU Seminar on Employment and Social Policy - Occupational Safety & Health’

The 5^th India-EU  seminar on Employment and Social Policy - Occupational Safety & Health is commencing on Monday 19^th,2011 at Symposia Hall, Indian Council of Agricultural Research,     National Agriculture Science Centre  (NASC)Complex, Dev Prakash Shastri Marg, New Delhi.  The two day seminar will be inaugurated and chaired by  Union Minister for Labour & Employment Shri Mallikarjun Kharge and be attended by senior officials from the European Commission and from the member countries of European Union.  Ministers from some countries are also likely to attend the seminar.    The senior representatives from Workers’ organizations, Employers’ Organisation and senior officers from of various State Governments and Central Ministries/Departments of Govt. of India will also be participating  in the  seminar.

                The seminar will have four sessions spread over two days in which deliberations on the following issues will be made :  

                “Overview of OSH Institutional Framework in India and the European Union”; “Effective  and "Topical Issues in Occupational Health Management"

The seminar is in the sequence of a Joint Action Plan entered in between India and European Union (EU) to have a policy dialogue and cooperation in the fields of employment and social policy. Accordingly, the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India has signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the European Commission to strengthen dialogue and exchange of views and information on issues of common interests within the area of employment and social policy such as: skills, training and employment, social security, occupational health and safety; workers’ participation in management; and other relevant issues jointly identified.  The structured dialogue consists of exchanges of experience, best practice, views and information on topics of common interest, trends and policy developments related to the above areas. As a part of this structured dialogue, it has been agreed upon to organize a joint seminar on mutually identified issues every year. These seminars will bring together EU and India government experts, social partner representatives, academic experts and other relevant stakeholders to exchange views, information, experience and best practice on topics of common interest.

                As a result, the first Seminar on Skills Development and training was held on 27-28 November, 2006 at New Delhi. The second seminar on social security and social protection was held on 17-18 September, 2007 at Lisbon, Portugal.  The third Seminar on “Employment Relations and Resolution of Conflicts” was organized on 22^nd & 23^rd September, 2008 at New Delhi.  The 4^th India-EU Seminar on the `Skills and Jobs’, with a particular focus on the impact of the global crisis and recovery was held in Brussels from 5^th to 6^th July, 2010.