Worker participation in occupational health research: theory and practice

In the area of occupational health, progressive scientists in many countries are attempting to carry out scientific inquiry into the effects of working conditions on the health of workers in a participatory relationship with workers. The author proposes an action research model to describe the underlying research process, taking into account the interests of both workers and academics. For worker/scientist cooperation to be effective, means must be found for the two groups to work on an equal footing. Workers' participation in occupational health research projects takes two forms: informational input-workers' knowledge of working conditions and health problems systematized and used to better understand the work situation and its effects on health and well-being; and partnership--workers' participation in the design and realization of all stages of the research project. Institutional context and worker participation are analyzed in the present article in the light of the experiences of our research group, Group de Recherche-action en Biologie de Travail (Action Research on Work Biology), at the Université du Québec à Montréal. The group has been involved in action research with unions for the past ten years under the terms of a signed agreement between the University and the two major Québec unions, the Féderation des travailleurs (travailleuses) du Québec and the Conféderation des syndicats nationaux.