BWI has highlighted fatal injury figures from cement giants Holcim and Lafarge which reveal the true cost of outsourcing and precarious work. Their annual reports show that almost 300 people lost their lives working for these companies between 2011 and 2014.
BWI demands “Holcim and Lafarge, before their mega merger, reconsider their reckless employment policies and labour practices and start putting people before profits. No merger without workers’ health and safety rights!”
On International Workers’ Memorial Day ACTU says “Company Directors would be made personally liable for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) fines resulting from workplace death, even if they restructure their business to avoid payment.” more
On April 28, European Trade unions will commemorate International Workers’ Memorial Day – remembering the 150,000 people who have died in the EU from occupational cancers since the European Commission suspended work on legislation protecting workers from chemicals that cause cancer.
Every year 100,000 people in the EU die from occupational cancers.
In October 2013 the European Commission stopped developing exposure limits for chemicals that cause cancer because it is reviewing ‘red tape’ – with the result that only 3 cancer-causing chemicals have European exposure limits!
Now the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is demanding
“Measures to protect workers from cancer and fertility difficulties, are being treated as ‘red tape’ and a so-called ‘unnecessary burden’ on industry” said Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation. “It is shameful.”
“I am all in favour of ‘better regulation’ but this is treating human life like another line in the balance sheet, like the cost of raw materials or energy. The ETUC is calling on the European Commission agree legally binding exposure limits for 50 of the most harmful chemicals.”
“The Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans recently said that better regulation does not mean deregulation and lowering standards* so I hope he is willing to take action to protect workers from cancer.”
To mark International Workers’ Memorial Day on April 28:
For more information see: http://www.etuc.org/international-workers-memorial-day-28-april-2015 & https://28april.org/
Des centaines de syndicats, ensemble avec des associations de victimes, de chercheurs et des élus organiseront des événements partout dans le monde pour ce mardi 28 avril, commémorant les victimes d’accidents et des maladies professionnelles. Vous pouvez consulter la liste d’événements planifiés sur le site www.28april.org N’hésitez pas à nous signaler si le vôtre n’apparaît pas!
Cientos de sindicatos, acompañados de investigadores y asociaciones de interés público organizaran eventos el martes próximo, 28 de Abril para conmemorar a los trabajadores que han fallecido o se han enfermado por culpa de su trabajo. Puede ver la lista de eventos en el sitio web www.28april.org . Infórmenos si su evento no está en la lista!
Hundreds of trade unions, joined by researchers and public interest associations will be organising events next Tuesday, April 28th, remembering those who have lost their lives and health at work, and fighting for the living! You can see the list of countries where events are planned at www.28april.org Let us know if your country is misssing!
Imaginez un assassin qui tue toutes les minutes. La plupart de ces morts pourraient être évitées avec un minimum d’efforts, pourtant certains bloquent les mesures de prévention. Cet assassin, dénonce la secrétaire générale de la CSI, Sharan Burrow, est le cancer professionnel, et une commercialisation toxique associée à un échec réglementaire a déjà condamné une nouvelle génération à une mort prématurée. Plus
Es un asesino que mata varias veces por minuto. Aunque la mayoría de esas muertes podrían evitarse con un esfuerzo mínimo, la adopción de medidas preventivas es sistemáticamente bloqueada. Ese asesino, afirma la Secretaria General de la CSI, Sharan Burrow, es el cáncer profesional y la combinación de publicidad tóxica y fallos reglamentarios, que ya han condenado a otra generación a una muerte prematura. Màs
Imagine a killer that strikes more than once every minute. Most of these deaths could be stopped with minimal effort, but preventive measures are being blocked. Well, warns ITUC general secretary Sharan Burrow, that killer is occupational cancer and a mixture of toxic marketing and regulatory failure has already condemned another generation to an early grave. Read more
On this day, European trade unionists commemorate the 100,000 colleagues and friends, fathers, mothers, daughters and sons killed every year in the EU by cancers – caused at work – which are entirely preventable.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) condemns the European Commission for delaying since October 2013 the adoption of legally binding exposure limits for chemicals that cause cancer, or are toxic for male and female fertility and the unborn child, because it is conducting a review of ‘red tape’. It means that 150,000 have died while EC evaluates ‘better regulation’.
The ETUC does not believe that the European Commission so lacks humanity that measures to protect people from cancer, people from fertility difficulties, or babies in the womb from toxic chemicals, could be considered a cost to business which needs to be reduced to improve competitiveness; that human life could be just another line in the balance sheet alongside the cost of raw materials, transport and energy.
The ETUC demands legally enforceable exposure limits for a priority list of 50 of the most harmful chemicals as a first step.
We call on the European Commission to unblock the revision of the Directive on Carcinogens or Mutagens at work and include substances that are toxic for reproduction.
To mark this memorial Day, on April the 28th ETUC General Secretary Bernadette Ségol will be in the European Parliament in Strasbourg to bring International Workers’ Memorial Day to the attention of MEPs, and has meetings scheduled with Parliament President Martin Schulz and European Employment Commissioner Marianne Thyssen. ETUC Deputy General Secretary Józef Niemiec will speak at a Latvian Presidency conference in Riga on health and safety. The ETUC and Belgian trade unions also plan a commemoration outside the European Commission’s Berlaymont HQ in Brussels.
The artwork below will be used at these events.
