Under-reporting of work accidents and occupational diseases – UNSA

Today, any work accident and/or occupational disease must be declared. Its management and related expenses are then fully covered by employer contributions within the AT/MP branch.

Underreporting corresponds to work accidents or occupational diseases that are not reported as such. In these situations, victims receive health insurance benefits under the conditions of ordinary law, rather than those specific to AT/MP. This practice has consequences. First for workers, who cannot receive adequate care and compensation. Then for the health branch, which bears costs that should be the responsibility of the AT/MP branch, thus unbalancing the financing of Social Security.

Underreporting, a persistent problem

Every three years, an independent commission, chaired by a magistrate from the Court of Auditors, publishes a report evaluating Social Security on the under-reporting of accidents at work and occupational diseases. Based on epidemiological data and surveys, the latest report, which has been echoed in the press, estimates that under-reporting represents between 2 and 3.6 billion euros per year! This increase is significant compared to the previous version: the low range for 2024 is almost equivalent to the high range for 2021… Among the most frequently under-reported conditions are psychosocial risks, musculoskeletal disorders and cancers.

Several factors contribute to underreporting:

• Social and professional pressures on workers who may fear reprisals or even job losses

• A lack of awareness among workers of their rights with employers who are not always aware of the reporting procedures

• Administrative complexity in declaring an AT/MP.

For the UNSA, it is urgent to put an end to this chronic under-reporting of work accidents and occupational diseases. This must be done by:

• Increased inspections and penalties for non-declaration by employers

• Precise traceability of professional risks within companies

• Better information for workers on their rights

• Improved training for healthcare professionals to support victims of an accident/occupational disease.

Pending lasting solutions, UNSA is demanding that the sums wrongly disbursed by Health Insurance be fully reimbursed by the AT/MP branch: namely 3.6 billion euros.

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