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Morocco's Concerning Toll: Over 2,000 Lives Lost Annually to Workplace Accidents and Occupational Diseases
In a sobering revelation, the Democratic Labor Organization (ODT) has shed light on the staggering human cost of workplace hazards in Morocco. According to the organization's findings, unveiled on the occasion of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work (April 28), more than 2,000 lives are tragically lost each year due to workplace accidents and occupational diseases in the Kingdom.
These alarming figures underscore the grave consequences of inadequate safety measures and the urgency to address this pressing issue. The ODT's report highlights that the economic toll of workplace accidents amounts to a staggering 4.5% of Morocco's gross national product (GNP). This statistic should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers and industry leaders alike.
Ali Lotfi, the Secretary-General of the ODT, attributed these fatalities to a confluence of factors, including outdated legislation, lack of oversight, inadequate preventive measures, and a deficiency in corporate social responsibility. In a clarion call for action, Lotfi urged the government and the Ministry of Labor to undertake a comprehensive review of the legal framework, acknowledging that the existing laws have become obsolete in the face of evolving economic, environmental, and occupational health and safety management dynamics.
Furthermore, Lotfi advocated for the adoption of a holistic mechanism that fosters collaborative efforts between workers and employers, coupled with robust legal and managerial frameworks to ensure the effective implementation of safety and health measures. This multi-faceted approach is crucial to safeguarding the well-being of Morocco's workforce and upholding the highest standards of workplace safety.
The ODT's report also sheds light on the dearth of precise and transparent data in Morocco, a consequence of non-compliance with reporting systems and their inherent complexities, as well as inadequate compensation provisions. Moreover, the organization highlighted the low adherence rate of active workers to the National Social Security Fund (CNSS), despite its mandatory nature for all private sector enterprises subject to the social security system. This discrepancy is reflected in the stark reality that the number of employees registered with the CNSS does not exceed 4 million, while the number of participating enterprises stands at a mere 316,000, in addition to 565,000 civil servants.
The union's communiqué underscores the gravity of the situation, citing insurance company statistics that reveal a staggering 45,000 reported workplace accidents annually, resulting in 2,000 fatalities. Alarmingly, accident insurance coverage remains limited in the private sector, exacerbating the vulnerability of workers. Consequently, Morocco grapples with a harrowing rate of 47.8 fatal workplace accidents per 100,000 workers, a risk factor 2.5 times higher than the average for countries in the Middle East and North Africa region.
This dire situation calls for an urgent and coordinated response from all stakeholders, including the government, employers, workers' representatives, and civil society organizations, to collectively address the underlying causes and implement comprehensive measures to safeguard the lives and well-being of Morocco's workforce.