Washington ? The Bush administration Friday announced its long-awaited plan to reduce repetitive stress injuries in the workplace, saying it would develop voluntary industry guidelines rather than require employers to take corrective actions.

The Clinton administration issued such federal requirements to address the issue in November 2000, but those were repealed by the Republican controlled Congress in March 2001, shortly after Clinton left office. At that time, the Bush administration promised to come up with a new workplace safety policy to reduce injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis and lower-back pain that can result from repeated motions in the workplace.

The question of how the government should deal with such ergonomic injuries has been the source of a fierce battle between industry and labor groups for more than a decade, and Friday that bitterness resurfaced within minutes after the Bush plan was unveiled.

Labor unions and key Democrats criticized the plan for failing to require companies to make changes in the workplace such as buying new equipment, adjusting the height of work surfaces, repositioning tools and providing mechanical lifting equipment to reduce repetitive stress injuries.

At the same time, some business groups expressed cautious support, concerned about the administration’s promise to step up enforcement of existing labor laws prohibiting workplace hazards, while other management representatives said there was no scientific evidence to justify even voluntary guidelines.

John Henshaw, head of the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration said, “we believe these are serious injuries and we are committed to reducing pain and suffering that occurs in the workplace as a result of ergonomic hazards.”

In a news conference announcing the plan to develop guidelines, Henshaw said that combined with stepped up enforcement, training and research, voluntary guidelines were “the best practical approach” to reducing ergonomic injuries immediately. Henshaw said the guidelines could be developed more quickly than a mandatory standard and could be more flexible, depending on the industry and facility.

By the end of the year, he said, OSHA would begin issuing industry-specific guidelines, although Henshaw declined to say which industries might be targeted or how many guidelines would be issued.

Henshaw also said OSHA would not take action against employers “who are making good-faith efforts to reduce ergonomic hazards.”