Javier Flores, the Secretary of Organization and Occupational Health of the UGT union in Castile-La Mancha, has urged for an update to the list of recognized occupational diseases, as many workers suffer from illnesses resulting from their job activities that are not acknowledged by the system.
During a press conference, Flores highlighted a significant underdeclaration of professional illnesses both locally and nationally, which imposes high costs on workers who receive inadequate recognition for their sickness and on the public health system.
Flores gave examples of cases where work-related illnesses are not recognized, such as cleaners who suffer from diseases that their insurance company refuses to acknowledge, office workers who develop symptoms such as tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome, and factory employees who suffer from musculoskeletal injuries.
In the past year, the region recorded 613 professional illnesses, up 30% from the previous year, despite data collection disruptions caused by the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Toledo province had the highest number of professional illnesses, with 250 cases, followed by Albacete (114), Ciudad Real (110), Cuenca (79), and Guadalajara (60).
Flores noted that the 40 to 49-year-old age group accounted for 35% of all professional illnesses. Men accounted for 351 cases, while women accounted for 262. The majority of illnesses were physical (73), followed by chemical (63), inhalation of substances (53), skin conditions (35), biological agents (13), and only 2 caused by carcinogenic agents.
Additionally, Flores raised concerns about the significant underdeclaration of occupational cancers in Spain, emphasizing the need for more recognition and diagnosis. He cited other European countries such as France and Germany, where between 5% and 10% of cancer diagnoses are linked to the workplace.
Finally, Flores called for employers to be prohibited from communicating with their employees after working hours, for the right to digital disconnection to be established, and for burnout syndrome to be included in the list of recognized occupational diseases. He emphasized the risks associated with psychosocial factors in the workplace such as high pressure and excessive workloads, which affect approximately 32% of employed individuals.
