[Employment, work conditions and health].

Work is an essential component of human life. It represents the relationship between human beings and nature, as well as how humans produce goods and shape their social interactions, providing the foundations for economic production reflected in social and political life. Work is also a concept central to an understanding of the way in which society distributes wealth and power and integrates or excludes certain groups, giving rise to a more or less fair distribution of goods and access to resources. This is the origin of the socioeconomic stratification that influences not only consumption patterns, but also lifestyles and behavior (1,2,3). Work’s centrality becomes evident when we use occupation as a proxy for socioeconomic status or as a component in measuring social class. Nonetheless, working conditions around the world have historically deteriorated and become a determining factor in health, disability, and sickness (4). In a comparative study assessing worldwide occupational risk factors carried out for the WHO, Driscoll et al. (2004)(5) reported that 37% of back pain, 16% of hearing loss, 13% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 2% of leukemia were related to the carcinogens, airborne particulates, injury hazards, ergonomic stressors and noise present in the workplace. Overall, occupational exposures resulted in approximately 800,000 deaths and the loss of over 22 million years of healthy life. The factors influencing this deterioration in workers’ health are complex, and understanding them requires a consideration of the macroeconomic, political, and social determinants conducive to biological, chemical, physical and ergonomic risks, as well as the presence of psychosocial stressors in the workplace. The economic burden of occupational diseases and injuries has been estimated at 4% of Gross National Product in developed countries, and up to 11% in poorer countries (6). However, much of this burden, particularly the emotional pain experienced by workers and their families resulting from disability and loss of life, cannot be measured. The way in which a society effectively regulates the relations between employers and employees, mobilizing resources to maintain healthy and safe workplaces and adequate occupational health and safety systems, is crucial for worker wellbeing.