Even before the catastrophic spread of COVID-19, 7,600 people died daily because of work-related illness or injury. And during the pandemic, millions of essential workers represented by UNI Global Union and our affiliates—often migrants, women, and people of colour—have risked exposure to this deadly virus to support their communities and their families. Tragically, an untold number have died.
“This International Workers’ Memorial Day, we remember the workers who are no longer with us. We hold their loved ones in our thoughts. We recognize they did not sign up to risk their lives when they worked so bravely to keep our societies running,” said UNI Global Union General Secretary Christy Hoffman. “And we honour them today—and the many others killed or injured from working—by fighting for the living.” Read more here
28.april međunarodni i nacionalni Dan bezbednosti i zdravlja na radu (2021.) Savez Samostalnih Sindikata Srbije
AMA Sugbo – KMU union marks International Workers’ Memorial Day with a candelit vigil and a strong message. Facebook
On April 28th, International Workers’ Memorial Day (IWMD), the ITF remembers all those across the world killed at or around their place of work.
The ITF supports the campaign led by the International Trade Union Confederation calling on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to recognise occupational health and safety as a fundamental right at work. This would fulfil a pledge made at the 2019 ILO Centenary Declaration, adopted unanimously, to ensure OSH for all workers.
#IWMD21 is especially poignant this year as it comes amid a devastating surge in global Covid-19 infections. Last week over 5.8 million new cases of Covid-19 were registered globally, the highest number to date. Many of these infections will have been caught at, or on the commute to or from, people’s workplaces.
But even before Covid-19, thousands of transport workers were vulnerable to injury or death in the workplace. The pandemic has simply exposed just how urgently occupational health and safety measures are needed.
“Every death at work is a death too many: the ILO, governments and employers must take greater action to halt preventable workplace deaths. Recognition of occupational health and safety as an ILO Fundamental Right at Work would be a strong step in the right direction.” – Stephen Cotton, ITF General Secretary
Governments and employers also have a responsibility to protect workers from violence and harassment in the workplace, which disproportionately impacts women workers. ITF affiliates, activists and Global Union Federations were instrumental in enacting global legislation against violence and harassment in the world of work.
ILO Convention 190, along with other recommendations, must be signed onto by government to protect all workers from violence and harassment at work including the commute.
ČMKOS message on International Workers’ Memorial Day
Podívejte se na video, ve kterém si připomínáme dnešní Mezinárodní vzpomínkový den za oběti pracovních úrazů a nemocí z povolání. Vzpomínáme na 108 lidí, kteří loni šli do práce a zpět se ke svým rodinám už nikdy nevrátili. Prosíme, buďte na sebe opatrní. #IWMD21 pic.twitter.com/VTYqxQtgUR
— ČMKOS (@odbory) April 28, 2021
See @CHoffmanUNI‘s full video ?https://t.co/SXyUh9uSh0 pic.twitter.com/QImXM804CF
“On #IWMD21, we remember the workers who are no longer with us.
We hold their loved ones in our thoughts.
We recognize they did not sign up to risk their lives when they worked so bravely to keep our societies running.”
See @CHoffmanUNI‘s full video ?https://t.co/SXyUh9uSh0 pic.twitter.com/QImXM804CF
— UNI Global Union (@uniglobalunion) April 28, 2021
« Si la question de la santé et de la sécurité au travail devient un droit fondamental de l’OIT, les gouvernements et les employeurs auront une plus grande responsabilité pour mettre fin à cette hécatombe, et les syndicats et les représentants de la sécurité au travail auront davantage de poids. Seuls les mauvais employeurs s’opposeront à cette mesure et nous sommes prêts à nous battre pour sauver des vies. »
Sharan Burrow, la secrétaire générale de la CSI.
“Hacer que la salud y seguridad en el trabajo sea un derecho fundamental de la OIT incrementaría la responsabilidad de Gobiernos y empleadores para poner fin a esta masacre y daría además mayores medios de presión a sindicatos y representantes de seguridad en los centros de trabajo. Sólo unos malos empleadores se opondrían a ello y estamos dispuestos a luchar duro para salvar vidas”.
Sharan Burrow, Secretaria General de la CSI.
“Making occupational health and safety a fundamental ILO right will increase the accountability of governments and employers to stop the carnage and give more leverage to unions and workplace safety representatives. Only bad employers would resist this and we are prepared to fight hard to save lives.”
Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary.