

Chapter 10



INDUSTRY

The present situation

South Africa has a lot of industries that work with metal and chemicals. These industries can do a lot of damage to the environment. South African industries use a lot of energy.

Quite a lot of the machinery used in South African industries is old. We need to put money into new machinery. This new machinery must cause less pollution and use less energy.

We need more industry in South Africa. This will give more jobs to our people. But we must make sure that these new industries do not do too much damage to the environment. Some countries have already found ways of working that do not damage the environment. We can learn from these countries.

Industry, laws and government departments

South Africa has some strict environmental laws for industry. But there are also some very weak laws. The government does not have enough staff to make sure that the laws are not broken. Industry can break the law without being punished.

This problem must be dealt with urgently. But the government must also work with industry and other groups to find ways for industry to cause less damage to the environment and to the health of workers and the public.

The national government must set strict standards for industry. If each province has different standards, the dirty industries might move to the province with the lowest standards.

Policy issues

1.  The government must decide on whether industry can check for themselves on how much damage they are doing to the environment. Trade unions and NGOs say that this won't work. Some Mission members feel that industries must check on the damage that they do to the environment themselves. But the government must set standards for this, and the government must check regularly to see that these standards are being met.

But, the government must find other ways to get industry to do less damage to the environment, as well. The government, trade unions and industry could form a partnership to find ways to improve the way industry works. It could also protect the health of workers. The chemical companies have started a programme called "Responsible Care". This is an example of how industry can work to do less damage to the environment. But we must make sure that programmes like this are real, and not just to make the industry look good.

2.   There is a strong link between damage to the environment and worker health and safety. Often the same thing which damages the environment also affects workers' health. But there are different laws for environment, and for health and safety. There are different government departments responsible for them. Health and safety is more about preventing accidents than about worker health. Workers are not given information about health problems that they might get from their work. At Thor Chemicals bad management caused the death of workers as well as bad damage to the environment (See Box 9, pp50, 51). Safety, health and environment should be dealt with together.

Trade Unions must show workers the link between health, safety and environment. South African trade unions are getting more involved in health, safety and environment issues especially in the chemical industry. Workers should be trained about environmental issues. This would help them to see dangers in the workplace. The workers also need rights so that they can take action. The trade unions need support on these matters.

Pollution from industry often damages the health of neighbouring communities (see Box 6, p22). Getting information has always been a problem. The interim Constitution says that South Africans have the right to information. This will help communities in the fight against pollution.

But even when communities are some distance away from industry, pollution can still affect their health. But it can be very difficult to prove this. So it is very difficult for communities to demand action. New laws may not be enough to fix this problem. Another idea would be a partnership between companies, trade unions, community organisations and the government to negotiate the best way to deal with the problem.

Workers and communities are important in protecting our environment. Both groups need the information and chance to take part in the management of their environment. This should be based on six principles:

3.  The right to know about danger
4.  The right to be told about danger
5.  The right to take part in decision making
6.  The right to refuse dangerous work
7.  The right to appropriate education and training
8.  The right to be paid for any damage done to worker or community health.

At the moment we don't have these rights.

Workers and communities need more environmental education in order to take part in decision making.

9.  Many companies in South Africa have a bad environmental record. The mining, chemical and heavy industries have been especially bad for the environment. In other countries companies have to report on the damage they could do to the environment, and what they are doing to stop it. The government should start this in South Africa.

Recommendations

1.  The government should set up an independent industrial inspectorate. This body should control air and water pollution, the production of waste and the safety of workers. Each province should have a body like this. The national government should set clear standards for this body to use. The inspectorate would need well trained staff.

2.   South African companies should have to include environmental issues in all their plans. They should also have to do environmental impact assessments. But it will take some time to set this up properly. In the meantime, the Department of Environment Affairs and Tourism must decide what sort of industries must do environmental impact assessments first. These must be the industries that do the most damage to the environment.

3.  Health, safety and environment issues should be dealt with together. The following could be done:

3.1  Health and Safety representatives in companies should become Health, Safety and Environment representatives. They should be given training and powers to identify and address health, safety and environmental dangers at work. All workers should be given broad training in health, safety and environment. They should be able to tell management and the government about dangers. Health, Safety and Environment representatives should be able to call government inspectors to their plant to check it.

3.2  Inspectors should be able to speak to workers in their own language. When inspections take place, workers and managers should receive a report.

3.3  The Departments of Labour, Health and Trade and Industry must look at the question of how to pay workers and communities for damage to their health. They must look at the possibility of extending the Workman's Compensation scheme.

3.4  A national committee of government, trade unions and industry should be set up to look at a better system for health, safety and environmental management.

4.   All companies should have to write a report on what effect they have and what they are doing about it. The report must include a study done by an independent expert.

5.  Each industrial sector (such as the steel industry) should put together an environmental plan. They should work together with government departments, trade unions, NGOs and community based organisations on this. These plans could include:

5.1  A study to find out the most serious environmental and health and safety problems in the industry.

5.2 A three year plan to deal with these problems. Industry bodies, companies, unions and government departments must agree to take part in this plan.

5.3 Checking whether the plan is being put into practice. Reports should be given to the trade unions, government departments and industry.


6.   The government should set up an Office for Cleaner Production. This body would help to find cleaner ways for industry to do their work. This body could link up with the Regional Centre for Clean Production in Harare.

BOX 8:
Health, safety and environment

There is a strong link between damage to the environment and worker health and safety. Often the same thing which damages the environment also affects workers' health. But there are different laws for environment, and for health and safety. There are different government departments responsible for them. Health and safety is more about preventing accidents than about worker health. Workers are not given about information about health problems that they might get from their work. At Thor Chemicals bad management caused the death of workers as well as bad damage to the environment (See Box 9). Safety, health and environment should be dealt with together.




