The ILO working with Albanian authorities to ensure safe return to work following lockdown measures

Safe and healthy workplaces are essential for the containment of the spread of COVID – 19, for protecting workers’ and employers’ health and lives and for ensuring business continuity and therefore protecting employment and income, especially for the most vulnerable ones. In this context, the effective implementation and monitoring of the Red Protocols defined by the Government of Albania as well as the ILO Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) standards in the workplace in COVID times, has been at the focus of the interventions of the International Labour Organization  (ILO) in Albania following COVID outbreak.

The ILO in collaboration with the Albanian Occupational and Safety Center (AOSHC) and the State Labour Inspectorate (SLI) are conducting several training sessions with labor inspectors and COVID-19 Task Force in Durres and Elbasan, to capacitate the labour inspectors to effectively advise the business owners and administrators (from footwear and garment industry) on the importance of complying by the specific rules and regulations to prevent and mitigate the risks of COVID spread. The trainings are also highlighting the need for social dialogue at the company level for  effectively and efficiently addressing the issue of COVID-19 in the world of work.

The ILO has made available in Albanian and distributed locally 5 guidelines focusing on safe return to work and general workplace safety measures related to Covid-19.

1. ILO Standards and COVID-19 [ENGLISH]  [ALBANIAN]
2. Policy brief on a safe and healthy return to work during the COVID-19 pandemic [ENGLISH]  [ALBANIAN]
3. Ten action points for a safe return to work [ENGLISH]  [ALBANIAN]
4. Guide for employers on COVID-19 prevention [ENGLISH]  [ALBANIAN]
5. Sector-specific guidance and tools for COVID-19 prevention and control [ENGLISH]  [ALBANIAN] 

The 2nd phase of this ILO OSH intervention at the workplace will be supported by SIDA and will focus on concrete support to garment companies (heavily dominated by women workers) in establishing the COVID -19 ILO standards at the workplace through a constructive social dialogue in the benefitting companies.