Occupational health strategy aims to upgrade working life
The government has issued a long-term strategy to reform occupational health. The strategy, which runs until 2015, sets out guidelines for healthcare, the work of different actors in the sector and areas of responsibility.
The main emphases of the strategy are to improve the quality of working life, promote and maintain health and working ability, and guarantee full and high quality occupational health services.
The strategy contains numerous courses of action to be carried out, and specifies the responsibilities and means to be used. It also concerns such things as changes in legislation, the contents of occupational health and organisation of services, funding and compensation, research and development, and healthcare ethics.
A key reason for the strategy is the need to improve the working conditions of older workers. This is part of an effort to encourage people to retire later and thereby lessen the impact of population ageing on the workforce.