The ITUC global webinar on psychosocial risks at work took place on 8 April 2026 ahead of International Workers’ Memorial Day. The event addressed the 28 April theme of psychosocial risks focusing on increasing levels of stress, anxiety, depression and burnout linked to insecure work, excessive hours, poor work-life balance and intensifying workplace pressures.
Watch the full seminar here and download the speakers’ presentation notes here.
Two weeks after International Workers’ Memorial Day (IWMD), workers across the globe continue to send a clear message: “Remember the dead, fight for the living.”
This year, BWI affiliates marked IWMD with a record-breaking 305 activities organised by 86 affiliates in more than 47 countries, demonstrating the growing strength of the global movement for safer and healthier workplaces.
Under BWI’s global campaign focus on heat stress and extreme weather risks, affiliates organised workplace trainings, rallies, memorial ceremonies, bargaining initiatives, policy discussions, and awareness campaigns that mobilised thousands of workers across every region.
While the global focus this year was on heat stress and extreme weather risks, affiliates also used IWMD to commemorate victims of occupational accidents and diseases, raise awareness on psychosocial risks and mental health, strengthen occupational safety structures, and push for broader workplace protections.
The actions below are only some examples of the extraordinary mobilisation carried out by BWI affiliates worldwide.
Global Action
At the international level, BWI also brought workers’ concerns directly to the Meeting of Experts on occupational safety and health in extreme weather events and changing weather patterns in Geneva, the tripartite experts at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) reached consensus on a first-ever set of measures to address the impacts of extreme weather on workers and enterprises.
At the BWI Global Young Workers Forum in Utøya, Norway, young union leaders marked IWMD with discussions on bringing heat stress and climate risks into collective bargaining and strengthening demands for agreements that protect workers. The Forum also held a minute of silence honouring workers lost due to unsafe work and victims of political violence.
A major coordinated initiative entered the IFA with the Acciona Group, in which IWMD activities took place across Spain, the Philippines, Brazil, Chile, Italy, Panama, Peru, the Netherlands, and Mexico. Activities included workplace safety discussions, awareness sessions on working in heat, psychosocial risks and wellbeing, prevention campaigns, and commemorative moments honouring workers who lost their lives.
Africa and the Middle East: Workplace Awareness and Worker Engagement
Across Africa and the Middle East, affiliates used IWMD to bring occupational safety discussions directly into workplaces and communities.
Affiliates in Tunisia, Lebanon, and Jordan also organised workplace outreach, awareness activities, and worker discussions on occupational safety and health.
Europe: Memorial Activities and Public Campaigns
Across Europe, affiliates organised memorial activities, public awareness campaigns, and discussions on workplace safety and mental health.
Affiliates in Sweden, Georgia, Poland, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Denmark, Turkey, and Spain also marked IWMD through rallies, statements, member meetings, posters, and social media campaigns.
Latin America and the Caribbean: Training, Prevention, and Organising
Across Latin America and the Caribbean, affiliates combined worker education, prevention campaigns, and commemorative activities.
Asia-Pacific: Grassroots Mobilisation and Worker Education
Across the Asia-Pacific, affiliates mobilised thousands of workers through training, awareness campaigns, organising activities, and commemorations.
From Awareness to Agreements
Across all regions, IWMD 2026 demonstrated a growing determination among workers and unions to strengthen occupational safety protections through organising, education, bargaining, and collective action.
From memorial ceremonies and psychosocial risk campaigns to workplace trainings and climate-related advocacy, affiliates reinforced one common
message: work-related deaths, injuries, and illnesses are preventable.
Let’s Keep Up the Momentum
The struggle for safer and healthier workplaces does not end on 28 April.
BWI calls on all affiliates to continue organising, educating, bargaining, and fighting for enforceable protections for all workers.
Because every worker has the right to go to work—and come home safely.
ORGANISE.
BARGAIN.
WIN PROTECTION.
Acciona Group marked Workers’ Memorial Day across Spain, the Philippines, Brazil, Chile, Italy, Panama, Peru, the Netherlands and Mexico through a coordinated global safety initiative linked to BWI campaigns. Activities included minutes of silence, workplace training, awareness sessions and safety campaigns focused on occupational health, psychosocial risks, mental health and heat stress. The company also developed materials supporting the “Too Hot To Work” campaign, reinforcing prevention measures and safety culture across projects and construction sites in multiple countries.
On World Day for Safety and Health at Work, unions warn that stress, long hours and toxic workplaces have become the biggest killers at work. Long hours alone cause 745,000 deaths yearly, with over 840,000 total deaths linked to psychosocial risks, 70,000 work-related suicides and 12 billion days lost to depression and anxiety.
Behind the daily reality of work, millions of working people are facing relentless pressure: long hours, job insecurity, impossible targets and toxic workplace cultures. These are not just bad jobs – they are dangerous jobs. Stress, anxiety and burnout are now causing more harm globally than traditional workplace hazards such as chemicals or dust.
A new ITUC report “Tackling Psychosocial risks at work: how stresses and strains can kill workers and how unions can save them” shows the scale of the crisis:
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has also published a ground breaking report titled “ The psychosocial working environment: Global developments and pathways for action” that sheds light on the global epidemy of PSR at work. It shows that:
Psychosocial risks depend on three interrelated levels of factors that shape the psychosocial working environment:
According to a PSI global survey on OSH risks among public service workers, with 54 affiliates responding from 32 countries across all continents and PSI sectors and professions, psychosocial risks—including work-related stress and mental health—are identified as the most pressing workplace issue (75% of respondents). These are followed by understaffing and workload pressure (67.3%), workplace violence and harassment (55.8%), and long working hours (40.4%). Notably, all four of the highest-rated OSH risks identified by public service unions fall within the broader category of primary or contributing factors to psychosocial risks.
PSI will review and discuss priorities and actions related to psychosocial risks in public services during the next PSI Global OSH Network meeting on 22 September 2026.
Question: Which of the following OSH issues are most urgent in the sector(s) your union represents?
Source: PSI OSH Global Network Survey 2025-2026
The ILO emphasizes that psychosocial risks can be prevented through organizational approaches that address their root causes. It also highlights the importance of integrating psychosocial risk management into occupational safety and health systems, supported by social dialogue between governments, employers, and workers.
Across the world, unions are proving that change is possible. Evidence shows that a strong, democratic trade union presence in the workplace is the most effective protection against psychosocial risks, improving workers’ health and economic outcomes.
Trade unions worldwide are calling for:
The European Agency for Occupational Safety and Health (EU-OSHA) has also marked World Day for Safety and Health at Work, unveiling a new website for the Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2026-2028 ‘Together for mental health at work’. The website, is an anticipation of the EU-OSHA campaign on psychosocial risks at work that will kick-off in October 2026 and offers a first look at the upcoming campaign’s focus: managing and preventing psychosocial risks and their impact on workers and organisations. The websites carries materials, including the campaign guide, flyer and poster, to learn more about how to raise awareness and take action.
Many resources are available for unions, workers and OSH reps who wish to bring progressive change and tackle psychosocial risks at work:
On 28 April, we the trade unions remember the dead – and fight for the living. Work should not cost lives. It must protect lives, dignity and mental health.
Note: this article draws on written materials from ITUC, ILO and EU-OSHA websites.
International Workers’ Memorial Day 2026: Tackling psychosocial risks at work
This International Workers’ Memorial Day, 28 April, the ITUC calls for urgent action to tackle the global crisis of psychosocial risks at work – now one of the leading causes of death, disease and distress for workers worldwide.
Behind the daily reality of work, millions of working people are facing relentless pressure: long hours, job insecurity, impossible targets and toxic workplace cultures.
These are not just bad jobs – they are dangerous jobs. Stress, anxiety and burnout are now causing more harm globally than traditional workplace hazards such as chemicals or dust.
ITUC’s new report shows the scale of the crisis:
“Bad jobs can break anyone. When workers are pushed beyond their limits by job insecurity, excessive workloads and lack of control, the consequences can be fatal. This is not inevitable – it is a result of choices made in boardrooms and by governments.” ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle
Across the world, unions are proving that change is possible. Evidence shows that a strong, democratic trade union presence in the workplace is the most effective protection against psychosocial risks, improving workers’ health and economic outcomes.
The ITUC is calling for:
Luc Triangle concluded: “The solutions to these problems start with democracy in the workplace, with a voice for workers through their trade unions. Employers can ignore the psychosocial health of workers and break them, lose valuable skills and face the financial cost, or they can work with unions to ensure that workers are valued. If employers are struggling to recognise which is the correct choice, unions are ready and available to remind them. The fight for democracy in the workplace is the fight for the wellbeing of all working people.”
This 28 April, we remember the dead – and fight for the living. Work should not cost lives. It must protect lives, dignity and mental health.
Journée internationale de commémoration des travailleurs morts ou blessés au travail 2026: prendre en compte les risques psychosociaux au travail
Le 28 avril, à l’occasion de la Journée internationale de commémorations des travailleurs morts ou blessés au travail, la CSI appelle à une action urgente visant à lutter contre la crise mondiale des risques psychosociaux au travail, désormais l’une des principales causes de décès, de maladie et de souffrance pour les travailleurs et les travailleuses à travers le monde.
Derrière la réalité quotidienne du travail, des millions de personnes sont soumises à une pression incessante: longues heures de travail, insécurité de l’emploi, objectifs impossibles à atteindre et environnements de travail toxiques.
Il ne s’agit pas seulement d’emplois de mauvaise qualité, mais d’emplois dangereux. Le stress, l’anxiété et l’épuisement provoquent aujourd’hui plus de préjudice à l’échelle planétaire que les risques traditionnels sur les lieux de travail, tels que les produits chimiques ou la poussière.
Le nouveau rapport de la CSI (bientôt disponible en français) révèle l’ampleur de la crise:
Luc Triangle, le secrétaire général de la CSI, a déclaré: «Les emplois de mauvaise qualité peuvent briser n’importe qui. Lorsque les travailleurs subissent des pressions au-delà des limites supportables, à cause de l’insécurité de l’emploi, de charges de travail excessives et d’un manque de contrôle, les conséquences peuvent être fatales. Cette situation n’est pas inévitable: elle résulte de décisions prises dans des salles de réunions et par les gouvernements.»
Sur l’ensemble du globe, les syndicats montrent qu’un changement est possible. Les faits indiquent qu’une présence syndicale forte et démocratique sur le lieu de travail constitue la plus efficace des protections contre les risques psychosociaux, en contribuant à améliorer la santé et les performances économiques des travailleurs et des travailleuses.
La CSI réclame:
Luc Triangle a conclu: «Les solutions à ces problèmes commencent par la démocratie au travail, pour permettre aux travailleurs de faire entendre leur voix par l’intermédiaire de leur syndicat. Les employeurs peuvent choisir d’ignorer la santé psychosociale de leurs employés et de les pousser à bout, de perdre leurs précieuses compétences et d’en payer le coût financier, ou choisir de collaborer avec les syndicats pour veiller à ce que les travailleurs soient valorisés. Si les employeurs peinent à savoir quel est le bon choix, les syndicats se tiennent prêts à le leur rappeler. La lutte pour la démocratie au travail est la lutte pour le bien-être de tous les travailleurs et travailleuses.»
Ce 28 avril, nous rendons hommage aux personnes décédées au travail, et nous nous battons pour les vivants. Le travail ne devrait pas coûter des vies. Il doit protéger la vie, la dignité et la santé mentale.
Jornada Internacional de Conmemoración de los Trabajadores Fallecidos y Lesionados 2026: abordar los riesgos psicosociales en el trabajo
Con motivo de la Jornada Internacional de Conmemoración de los Trabajadores y Trabajadoras Fallecidos y Lesionados, el 28 de abril, la CSI hace un llamamiento a la acción urgente para abordar la crisis mundial de los riesgos psicosociales en el trabajo, la cual se ha convertido en una de las principales causas de muerte, enfermedad y sufrimiento entre los trabajadores y las trabajadoras de todo el mundo.
Detrás de la realidad cotidiana del trabajo, millones de personas trabajadoras se enfrentan a una presión continua: largas jornadas de trabajo, inseguridad laboral, objetivos imposibles de alcanzar y culturas empresariales tóxicas.
No solamente son malos empleos, son empleos peligrosos. El estrés, la ansiedad y el agotamiento ocupacional causan ahora más daños a escala mundial que los riesgos laborales tradicionales, como los inducidos por productos químicos o el polvo.
El nuevo informe de la CSI (disponible próximamente en español) muestra la magnitud de la crisis:
Luc Triangle, secretario general de la CSI, afirmó en este sentido: “Los malos empleos pueden destrozar a cualquiera. Cuando la inseguridad laboral, las cargas de trabajo excesivas y la falta de control sobre el trabajo llevan a las personas trabajadoras más allá de sus límites, las consecuencias pueden ser fatales. No es algo inevitable: es el resultado de decisiones tomadas en las salas de juntas y por los gobiernos”.
En todo el mundo, los sindicatos demuestran que el cambio es posible. Los datos indican que una presencia sindical fuerte y democrática en el lugar de trabajo constituye la protección más eficaz contra los riesgos psicosociales, mejorando así la salud de las personas trabajadoras y los resultados económicos.
La CSI reclama:
Luc Triangle concluyó a este respecto: “Las soluciones a estos problemas comienzan por la democracia en el lugar de trabajo, con una voz para los trabajadores y trabajadoras a través de sus sindicatos. Los empleadores pueden pasar por alto la salud psicosocial de las personas trabajadoras y agotarlas, perder valiosas competencias y sufrir las consecuencias económicas, o bien pueden colaborar con los sindicatos para garantizar que se valore a las personas trabajadoras. Si los empleadores tienen dificultades para reconocer cuál es la opción correcta, los sindicatos están preparados y dispuestos para recordárselo. La lucha por la democracia en el lugar de trabajo es la lucha por el bienestar de todos los trabajadores y trabajadoras”.
Este 28 de abril, conmemoramos a los fallecidos y luchamos por los vivos. El trabajo no debería costar vidas. Debe proteger las vidas, la dignidad y la salud mental.
On World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2026, ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo highlights the urgent need to improve psychosocial working environments.
As the world of work evolves, factors like job design, management practices, and workplace culture have a direct impact on workers’ health, dignity, and well-being. With over 840,000 deaths linked annually to psychosocial risks, the call is clear: governments, employers, and workers must act together to create safer, healthier, and more just workplaces for all.
Across the world, work shapes people’s lives in profound ways.
It can provide purpose, security and opportunity.
But the way work is designed, organized and managed also affects something fundamental: workers’ safety, health and dignity.
Today, the world of work is changing rapidly. Digital technologies, new forms of employment, demographic change and climate pressures are transforming the way we work.
In this context, the psychosocial working environment has never been more important.
For workers in every sector, psychosocial factors at work can make the difference between a job that supports well-being and one that undermines it.
The consequences are significant.
Psychosocial risk factors at work are linked to more than 840,000 deaths each year worldwide, associated with cardiovascular diseases and mental disorders.
They place heavy costs on societies and economies.
Safe and healthy working environments are a fundamental principle and right at work.
But they do not happen by chance.
When work is designed with reasonable demands, adequate support, opportunities for participation and respect for dignity, it benefits everyone.
Workers are healthier and more motivated.
Enterprises become stronger and more sustainable.
Preventing psychosocial risks requires commitment and cooperation.
Governments must put in place effective policies, legal frameworks and occupational safety and health systems that support prevention.
Employers shape the daily reality of work through leadership and responsible management practices.
And workers and their representatives bring essential knowledge about how work is experienced.
On this World Day for Safety and Health at Work, the ILO calls on governments, employers and workers everywhere to strengthen their efforts to prevent psychosocial risks through social dialogue, to ensure that the design, organization and management of work creates the conditions for healthier workers, successful enterprises and societies that are closer to social justice.
This is at the heart of the ILO’s vision of decent work.
IGlobal union confederation ITUC has published a board range of social media ready 28 April shareables. A selection are below – you can download a complete set here
Who benefits when regulators and the courts pursue bosses whose brutal employment practices drive workers to the brink of suicide or to actually kill themselves? Well, says Hazards, new studies suggest we all do, as it leads to ‘significant’ and widespread safety improvements.
Hazards magazine argues that when regulators and the courts go after the employers who are driving their workers to suicide, we will all benefit. Read SUICIDE CRISIS | Action call as more than one in 10 suicides is linked to work
