National Day of Mourning: Work shouldn’t hurt

On National Day of Mourning April 28, PSAC recognizes the exemplary work of PSAC members who saved countless lives defending the health and safety of workers during the pandemic.

From mandating employers to develop COVID-19 protocols, administrative controls and ventilation and sanitation policies, unions and activists have played a key role in keeping workers safe. Their work has been possible because of the strong health and safety legislation, compliance and enforcement that unions have fought for to protect workers in Canada and around the world.

Unfortunately, not all workers have access to these same protections, and we have a responsibility to ensure all workers have a right to a safe workplace.

In Canada, many workers, especially gig economy workers, do not have basic health and safety protections like the right to know about hazards in the workplace. Other workers, including long-term care, gig and frontline workers, have insufficient sick days and limited health and safety protections. In the 2022 budget, the federal government has committed to providing 10 days of paid sick leave for federally regulated workers, but these benefits need to be extended to all workers.

That’s why PSAC and other unions are pushing governments to make occupational health and safety a fundamental right at work through the United Nations’ International Labour Organization (ILO). Here, we organize together under the same vision: work shouldn’t hurt.

Both in Canada and around the world, millions of people continue to die because of their work. The most recent data from the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) shows that in 2019, 925 workplace fatalities were recorded in Canada. That’s on top of the 271,806 accepted claims for lost time due to a work-related injury or disease.

Canada must be a leader and act to ratify and implement core ILO health and safety conventions that guarantee occupational health rights and protections for all workers, as well as protections against violence and harassment.

PSAC also recommits to hold all employers to the highest standards of health and safety in the workplace, so all workers can go home safely at the end the day.

You can observe the National Day of Mourning by:

• Attending a local ceremony in your community
• Showing your commitment on social media with the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety’s share graphics and the hashtag #DayofMourning
• Using PSAC’s Day of Mourning background during online meetings
• Downloading the CCOHS poster and displaying it in your workspace

#iwmd22

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This year April 28th marks the third Day of Mourning since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Each year, on the Day of Mourning, people come together to “Mourn the Dead and Fight for the Living.” The pandemic has shown us the importance of legislative measures to keep us all safe. Let’s also take a moment to think about the human cost of Covid-19 and the impact it continues to have on workers.

“Throughout the pandemic, we have witnessed how vulnerable workers are,” says Daniel Legere, President of the New Brunswick Federation of Labour. “An issue that must be added to governments’ radar is acknowledging, defining, and having a plan to deal with long-covid. It affects at least 10%, and up to 50%, of people diagnosed with Covid-19.”

Without access to protected, paid sick days, workers have been forced to choose between going to work sick, or not getting paid, and in some cases losing their jobs. All workers should have access to 10 paid sick days per year as well as 10 emergency-leave days per year.

The failure to keep workers safe is a problem that existed before the pandemic, nonetheless. This has led to too many preventable deaths. Every year, approximately 1,000 Canadian workers die because of a workplace injury or an exposure that happened at work. In 2021, 13 New Brunswickers lost their lives because of a workplace accident or illness.

This year, May 9th marks the 30th anniversary of the Westray mine disaster, where 26 miners were killed in an underground explosion in Pictou County Nova Scotia. After a long advocacy campaign, changes were made to the Criminal Code of Canada to make sure that similar tragedies never happened again. Criminal charges are hardly ever pursued, though, following a workplace fatality. The federal government and the RCMP have educated federal health and safety officers and the police on the Westray section of the Criminal Code, but much more work is needed here.

“Despite the fact that too many workers are killed at work every year, police and prosecutors are not using the Westray amendments and are not investigating workplace fatalities through the lens of criminal accountability,” says George Nickerson, NBFL Vice-President responsible for workplace health and safety. “This needs to change. Goverments at all levels must make sure that existing health and safety laws and regulations are being enforced.”
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For information, please contact:

Daniel Legere
NBFL President
(506) 381-8969 (cell)

George Nickerson
NBFL Vice President responsible for Workplace Health & Safety
(902) 580-0375

Source: New Brunswick Federation of Labour