Commemoration day
Workers' Memorial Day
|
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Also called
| International Commemoration Day (ICD) for Dead and Injured
|
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Type
| Non-religious, cultural
|
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Observances
| Labour
|
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Date
| April 28
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Workers' Memorial Day
, also known as
International Workers' Memorial Day
or
International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured
, takes place annually around the world on April 28, an
international day
of remembrance and action for
workers
killed, disabled, injured, or made unwell by their work.
[1]
In Canada, it is
commemorated
as the
National Day of Mourning
.
Workers' Memorial Day is an opportunity to highlight the preventable nature of most
workplace incidents
and ill health and to promote campaigns and union organization in the fight for improvements in
workplace safety
. The slogan for the day is
Remember the dead ? Fight for the living.
[1]
Although April 28 is used as the focal point for
remembrance
and a day of international
solidarity
, campaigning and other related activities continue throughout the year right around the world.
Origins
[
edit
]
In 1989, the
AFL-CIO
declared April 28 "Workers' Memorial Day" to honor the hundreds of thousands of working people killed and injured on the job every year. April 28 is the anniversary of the date the
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
went into effect, and when the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
was formed (April 28, 1971). Previously, in 1984, the
Canadian Union of Public Employees
(CUPE) established a day of mourning. The
Canadian Labour Congress
declared an annual day of remembrance in 1985 on April 28, which is the anniversary of a comprehensive Workers' Compensation Act (refer to the entry
Workplace Safety & Insurance Board
), passed in 1914. In 1991, the
Canadian parliament
passed an Act respecting a
National Day of Mourning
for persons killed or injured in the workplace, making April 28 an official Workers' Mourning Day.
[1]
[2]
International recognition
[
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]
For years Workers' Memorial Day events have been organized in North America, and then worldwide. Since 1989, trade unions in
North America
,
Asia
,
Europe
and
Africa
have organized events on April 28. The late
Hazards Campaigner
Tommy Harte brought Workers' Memorial Day to the UK in 1992 as a day to
‘Remember the Dead: Fight for the Living'.
In the UK the campaign for Workers' Memorial Day has been championed by the
Hazards Campaign
and taken up by trade unions, adopted by
Scotland
's
TUC
in 1993, followed by the TUC in 1999, and the
Health and Safety Commission
and
Health and Safety Executive
in 2000.
[1]
[2]
April 28 is recognised by the
International Labour Organization
(ILO) and the
International Trade Union Confederation
(ITUC) as International Workers' Memorial Day. In 1996, the ICFTU commemorated Workers' Memorial Day and began to set annual 'themes'. For 2006, the ICFTU theme was
Union workplaces: safer workplaces
, focusing on a global ban on
asbestos
and increased awareness of HIV/AIDS.
[3]
During 2001, the
ILO
, part of the United Nations (UN), recognised Workers' Memorial Day and declared it
World Day for Safety and Health at Work
and in 2002, the ILO announced that April 28 should be an official day in the UN system.
[1]
[2]
Workers' Memorial Day is recognised as a national day in many countries including:
Australia
,
Argentina
,
Belgium
,
Bermuda
,
Brazil
,
Canada
,
Dominican Republic
,
Gibraltar
,
Ireland
,
Luxembourg
,
Panama
,
Peru
,
Portugal
,
Spain
,
Thailand
,
Taiwan
,
United States
, and the
United Kingdom
. Trade unions in other countries including
Benin
,
Czech Republic
,
Finland
,
Hungary
,
Malta
,
Nepal
,
New Zealand
,
Romania
, and
Singapore
are pursuing government recognition.
[1]
[2]
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. Some examples include active campaigning, and workplace awareness events. Public events include speeches, multi-faith religious services, laying wreaths, planting trees, unveiling monuments,
balloon releases
,
raising public awareness
of issues, and laying out empty shoes to symbolize those who have died at work.
[
citation needed
]
World Day for Safety and Health at Work
[
edit
]
World Day for Safety and Health at Work
is a
UN international day
that is celebrated every April 28. It is concerned about safe work and awareness of the dimensions and consequences of work-related accidents and diseases; to place occupational safety and health (OSH) on the international and national agendas; and to provide support to the national efforts for the improvement of national OSH systems and programmes in line with relevant
international labor standards
.
[4]
The 2011 World Day for Safety and Health at Work focuses on the implementation of an Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS) as a tool for continual improvement in the prevention of workplace incidents and accidents.
[5]
Bangladesh
[
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]
Bangladesh Garment Sramik Sanghati, an organization working for the welfare of garment workers, has requested that April 24 be declared Labour Safety Day in
Bangladesh
, in memory of the victims of the
Rana Plaza
building collapse.
[6]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Greater Manchester Hazards Centre
Fact Sheet April 28, 2006 (GMHC is part of the
Hazards Campaign
recognised and affiliated to the UK
Trades Union Congress
) Author Hilda Palmer, (no ISBN); available at
http://www.gmhazards.org.uk/WMDLft06.pdf
Archived
May 18, 2006, at the
Wayback Machine
Also '
Safety Express' March/ April 2006 Page 5
'April 28 is...Workers' Memorial Day' (no ISBN); published by The
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
(RoSPA) UK
registered charity
No. 207823
- ^
a
b
c
d
TUC Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety course notes 2004/5 Section C page 69
Archived
February 17, 2010, at the
Wayback Machine
(no ISBN).
- ^
"Union Workplaces ? Safer Workplaces"
(PDF)
. April 28, 2006
. Retrieved
April 27,
2008
.
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (SafeWork)
?
International Labour Organization
.
- ^
World Day for Safety and Health at Work ? 28 April 2011
?
International Labour Organization
.
- ^
"Thousands mourn collapse victims of Rana Plaza garment factory one year on"
.
Deutsche Welle
. April 24, 2014
. Retrieved
July 20,
2014
.
External links
[
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]