If health promotion campaigns are confined to larger workplaces, they could perpetuate inequality, according to ICTU officer Mr Fergus Whelan. This is because larger workplaces tend to be unionised and provide relatively good work environments.
Mr Whelan was speaking at the National Health Promotions Winter School in Sligo yesterday.
"The more marginalised, poorly educated, poorly paid members of the workforce do not tend to benefit from health promotion at present. These are the same people who have no VHI, no access to on-going education/learning and no corporate membership of a health club. They are most in need of health promotion.
"While a profitable industry is growing up around the impact of work-related stress on the health of individuals, very little is being done to deal with stressors in the workplace. These include lack of recognition or reward for good performance, no opportunity to voice complaints, lots of responsibility without decision-making authority and unsupportive or unco-operative superiors and colleagues."