The National Day of Mourning, observed annually in Canada on April 28, pays tribute to those who have lost their lives, been injured, become ill or suffered tragedy at work. It’s a day to remember those who have suffered because of their work. It’s also a day to renew our collective commitment to improving workplace health and safety, and to preventing further injuries, illnesses, and deaths. This year’s theme is “Safe Work Now!”
Today the Day of Mourning is observed in more than 100 countries around the world and is also known as International Workers’ Memorial Day. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) recognize this day as World Day for Safety and Health at Work.
According to the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC), there were 993 workplace fatalities in Canada in 2022, including 941 men, 50 women and 2 non-binary people, as well as 33 young workers between the ages of 15 and 24. In addition to these fatalities, 348,747 lost-time injury claims were accepted across the country. This represents an increase of 75,000 cases compared to 2021.
We are well aware that these figures do not reflect reality, since they do not include work-related injuries that employers try to conceal by persuading workers not to report them, offering them instead in-house accommodations without medical advice as a way to recover.
By using this approach, employers neglect declaring these cases as disabling injuries resulting in time lost.
For more information on the various statistics, please consult the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada link below:
https://awcbc.org/en/statistics/canadian-workers-compensation-system-year-at-a-glance
To find out about the various activities planned across the country on Sunday, April 28, 2024, I invite you to consult the Canadian Labour Congress website at:
Day of Mourning Ceremonies 2024 | Canadian Labour Congress
We have asked Canada Post to fly the Canadian flag at half-mast and observe a minute of silence at all the facilities that will be in operation that day.
An injury to one is an injury to all.