The political economy of workers' health and safety

The paucity of social science research on workers' health and safety (WHS) is noted and a framework based on class struggle within the capitalist political economic world-system is suggested. It is hypothesized that the historical and current strengths of workers' movements within nation states will largely determine the adequacy of provisions for WHS. This hypothesis was generally confirmed through field studies in Sweden, Finland, the German Democratic Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, the U.K. and the U.S.A. However, one key aspect, the linkages between the general health services, especially at points of first entry (sometimes inappropriately referred to as primary health care, PHC) and WHS are highly problematic in all systems. Workers and their representatives, as well as concerned WHS and public health workers should develop greater awareness, concern and understanding of this PHC-WHS problem as well as other aspects of WHS.