Protecting workers in Britain and around the world Hugh Robertson Every year more people are killed at work than in wars. Most do not die of mystery ailments, or in tragic ‘accidents’. They die because an employer decided their safety just was not that important a priority. International Workers’ Memorial Day commemorates those workers. Workers’ Memorial Day is held on 28 April every year; all over the world workers and their representatives conduct events, demonstrations, vigils and a whole host of other activities to mark the day. The day is also intended to serve as a rallying cry to ‘remember the dead, but fight like hell for the living’. Workers’ Memorial Day was started by the Canadian Union of Public Employees in 1984. The Canadian Labour Congress declared an annual day of remembrance in 1985 on 28 April, which is the anniversary of a comprehensive Workers Compensation Act passed in 1914. The British Trades Union Congress has commemorated Workers Memorial Day since 1999 and host a website of activities. 28 April is recognised by the International Labour Organisation and the International Trade Union Confederation as International Workers’ Memorial Day. During 2001 the ILO, part of the United Nations, recognised Workers’ Memorial Day and declared it World Day for Safety and Health at Work and in 2002 the ILO announced that 28 April should be an official day in the United Nations system. Workers’ Memorial Day is recognised as a national day in many countries including the United Kingdom, where the government gave it recognition after requests from the TUC. Workers’ Memorial Day is now an international day of remembrance of workers killed in incidents at work, or by diseases caused by work, and annually on April 28, Workers’ Memorial Day events are held throughout the world. Often this is some kind of commemorative rally or service, although some cities hold marches. Other activities include laying wreaths, planting trees, unveiling monuments, balloon releases, raising public awareness of issues and laying out empty shoes to symbolise those who have died at work. Often workplaces hold a two-minute silence at noon, while many public buildings fly their flags lower. For 2014 the theme is ‘protecting workers around the world through strong regulation, enforcement and union rights’. The TUC believes that we should use the day to highlight the need for strong regulation at a national, European and global level. We need to stop companies in the United Kingdom from benefitting from the lack of health and safety standards that lead to disasters such as the Bangladesh factory collapse that killed over 1,100 workers. We also need a strong strategy on health and safety from the European Commission that will raise standards throughout Europe, while in the UK we need an end to the cuts in enforcement and regulation and instead action to tackle the huge number of occupational diseases and injuries. This year’s theme means that, in addition to the usual activities, many rallies and events are also remembering those who died in the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh or protesting against the slaughter of workers on building sites in Qatar in the run up to the World Cup. ——————————— Hugh Robertson is the senior policy officer for health and safety at the TUC
Posted on: Mon, 28 Apr 2014 13:12:02 +0000
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