BWI has published an International Workers’ Memorial Day poster in several languages, including Swedish. [pdf]
BWI has published an International Workers’ Memorial Day poster in several languages, including Swedish. [pdf]
BWI has published an International Workers’ Memorial Day poster in several languages, including French. [pdf]
BWI has published an International Workers’ Memorial Day poster in several languages, including Portuguese. [pdf]
BWI has published an International Workers’ Memorial Day poster in several languages, including Spanish. [pdf]
BWI has published an International Workers’ Memorial Day poster in several languages, including English. [pdf]
BWI has published an International Workers’ Memorial Day poster in several languages, including Arabic. [pdf]
BWI has published an International Workers’ Memorial Day poster in several languages, including Russian. [pdf]
Sunday 28th April is International Workers Memorial Day 2019, and Trade Unions all over the world are organising rallies and protest marches to reject dangerous working conditions in the building and timber trades.
Activities will take place from the Tuesday 23rd of April to Sunday 28th.
We know more than ever about hazards at work and all the measures and laws to prevent occupational deaths, injuries and ill health; yet, more than one hundred thousand building workers still die each year in entirely preventable “accidents” on site. Meanwhile, two million tons of chrysotile asbestos is being put into the built environment every year – guaranteeing a deadly legacy for building workers and the public. Workers in our sectors suffer daily exposure to hazardous and cancer-causing chemical products, like pesticides and organic solvents. But they are also exposed to hazardous dust, like asbestos, or silica, and dangerous processes exposing them to diesel or welding fumes.
Forestry is still notoriously dangerous, despite some improvements in standards on paper, the positive impact is undermined by the reliance of the industry on informal and subcontracting work to boost their profits.
The cement industry remains highly hazardous and accounts for hundreds of deaths in worksite accidents, and thousands of occupational diseases each year. The heavy use of outsourcing is largely responsible for the lack of coherent management of hazards at work, with almost all fatal accidents occurring among contracted and third-party workers. Precarious work in the sector is costing peoples’ lives.
The impact of bad working conditions takes its toll on the health of workers in all sectors BWI represent, from cement and brickmaking to wood processing and site labouring. The Trade Unions including BWI affiliates are ready, willing and able to help – but informal employment, subcontracting, union busting, and exploitative labour practices are undermining our efforts. That is why BWI affiliates are taking to the streets in protest for the week leading up to the 28th of April, International Workers Memorial Day.”
IWMD 2019 Posters are available English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, French, Swedish and Arabic.
Take action for International Workers Memorial Day!
What you can do:
Workers’ Memorial Day is held on 28 April every year, all over the world workers and their representatives conduct events, demonstrations, vigils and a whole host of other activities to mark the day.
Workers’ Memorial Day is the day when the International Labour Movement remembers those who have been killed or injured in workplace accidents and those who have died from occupational diseases. The event started in North America in 1986 and has been supported by Usdaw since 1995. The Day is now a global event and is officially recognised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and by the International Trade Union Movement (ITUC).
What can you do for Workers’ Memorial Day?
Dangerous substances – get them out of the workplace
For more information on Workers’ Memorial Day, see the TUC website.
Dutch union FNV has been very much involved in various actions that have built up pressure on employers such as a municipality, national railroad company (NS) and the airline KLM, which in the future might prevent more victims from the use of Chrome VI, a cause of occupational cancers. FNV will this year also celebrate Workers’ Memorial Day on the 28th of April in Rotterdam with special attention for toxic substances at work.
Related information (in Dutch).
https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/5744457/klm-gaat-medewerkers-onderzoeken-op-blootstelling-chroom-6.html