Tag Archives: #iwmd26

2026, 2026 Europe, 2026 Greece, Events listing, News

Greece: 28 April action program of OSETEE

Colleagues,

 

We send you the so far formulated program of actions of OSETEE and comrade Andreas Stoimenidis, for the three-day period 27-29/04 on the occasion of April 28, World Day for Safety and Health at Work and Day of Remembrance for Workers who lost their lives.

This year, the World Day coincides with the maintenance of the escalation of human losses in our country and is dedicated to Mental Health and Psychosocial Risks at Work. At the same time, the European Trade Unions and their European Confederation (ETUC) are intensifying their struggle for the inclusion of a legislative framework for heat stress in the European Framework of Quality Jobs.

  At the same time, Trade Unions around the world have designated April 28 as the Day of Remembrance for Workers who lost their lives in work accidents or from occupational diseases, to whom they pay tribute and promise to fight.

· Press Conference

Tuesday 28/04, 11.00 am. Press Conference by Andreas Stoimenidis at the Municipal Council Hall of the Municipality of Athens. New data will be provided on human losses in the workplace.

· Meetings

– Tuesday 28/04, 14.30, meeting with the President of GSEVEE, Mr. Giorgos Kavvathas

– Wednesday 29/04, 10.30, meeting with the Rector of the Agricultural University of Athens, Mr. Spyros Kintzios

· Speeches

–  Tuesday 28/04, 12.30, POE-OTA event

– Tuesday 28/04, 16.30 zoom at event of Latvian Trade Unions

- Wednesday 29/04, 12.00, Event of the Health and Safety at Work Committee of Employees at ERT

  · Interviews

– Monday 27/04, 9.00 am, with Angela Doulgeraki on Radio 98.4 Crete

– Monday 27/04, 12.30 pm, with Lazaros Theodorakidis on Thessaloniki Municipal Radio FM 100

– Monday 27/04, 13.45 pm, with Elias Koutseris on Radio ENA, Volos

– Tuesday 28/04, 15.30 pm, with Panagiotis Krinis on Thessaloniki Municipal Television

– Tuesday 28/04, 20.15 pm, with Maria Arabatzi on Blue Sky Television Station

– Wednesday 29/04, 07.15 am, with Giorgos Psaltis, on SKAI Radio Station 100.3

– Wednesday 29/04, 08.00 am, with Manos Niflis and Yiannis Kolokythas, on OPEN TV

– Wednesday 29/04, 10.00 pm, with Giorgos Chondropoulos on Alexandroupolis Municipal Radio

Today, Tuesday 28/04 at 10.15 am, a wreath will be laid at Klafthmonos Square, by a delegation from OSETEE, in memory of the workers who lost their lives at work.

We all have a duty to be proactive in Occupational Health and Safety issues on a daily basis.

We are at the disposal of our colleagues to support any initiative.

We call on our colleagues in the unions to highlight the Awareness and Remembrance Day.

                                         The Press Office of the OSETEE

2026, 2026 Europe, 2026 Sweden, Events listing, News

Sweden: När arbetet dödar (When work kills) – Landsorganisationen i Sverige

Arbetsrelaterad stress dödar – och det är inte ett individuellt problem

Den 28 april uppmärksammas Världsdagen för arbetsmiljö eller som den också kallas Workers’ Memorial Day. Den dag då vi särskilt uppmärksammar de som tyvärr har fått sätta livet till pga. sitt arbete.

Inför årets 28 april släpper ILO en ny global rapport om psykosocial arbetsmiljö, eller som vi benämner det i Sverige: organisatorisk och social arbetsmiljö. Det är tung läsning, men inget som förvånar, tyvärr. Vi har länge diskuterat den ökade arbetsbelastningens konsekvenser; när strukturella risker tas för att nå största möjliga ekonomiska vinst, utan hänsyn till arbetstagares hälsa. När arbetstagare stressas av den höga arbetsbelastningen är det inte individers ”stresshantering” som är problemet. Det är ett systemfel.

ILO uppskattar i sin rapport att över 840 000 människor dör varje år – främst genom hjärt‑kärlsjukdomar och psykisk ohälsa – till följd av stress, ohälsosam arbetsbelastning och stora brister i hur arbetet organiseras. Nästan 45 miljoner friska levnadsår går förlorade varje år, och kostnaderna motsvarar 1,37 procent av den globala BNP. Långa arbetsdagar är en central riskfaktor – globalt arbetar 35 procent av alla arbetstagare mer än 48 timmar i veckan. Arbetsrelaterat våld och trakasserier är ett annat område där omfattningen är stor: nästan var fjärde arbetstagare globalt uppger att de utsatts för våld och trakasserier någon gång under sitt arbetsliv.

Även ITUC släpper en mycket matnyttig rapport, med globala exempel: Tackling psyhosocial risks at work. Bland annat lyfts arbetsrelaterade suicid, med fruktansvärda siffror på minst 70 000 per år. Återigen, det här är dödsfall som alla har kunnat undvikas. Det handlar nämligen inte om arbetstagares ”känslighet”, bristande copingstrategier eller individuella tillkortakommanden. Det handlar om hur arbetet är organiserat, hur krav och resurser fördelas och om makt, dvs inflytande över arbetsvillkoren. Möjligheten för den enskilde arbetstagaren att påverka sin arbetssituation varierar stort mellan olika länder, i takt med att brister i demokratiska rättigheter ökar och efterlevnaden av grundläggande mänskliga rättigheter minskar, exempelvis rätten att fritt organisera sig och förhandla om sina arbetsvillkor.

Ur ett fackligt perspektiv är slutsatsen självklar: psykosocial arbetsmiljö är en kollektiv fråga som kräver kollektiva lösningar – via lagstiftning, tillsyn, inflytande från arbetstagarrepresentanter såsom skyddsombud och genom förbättrade arbetsvillkor genom kollektivavtal. I Sverige har vi vår OSA (AFS 2023:2), men globalt saknas det både skydd och inflytande för arbetstagare.

Svensk arbetsmiljöstatistik bekräftar bilden som ILO presenterar i sin rapport. Enligt Arbetsmiljöverkets senaste arbetsmiljöundersökning uppger många anställda att arbetet präglas av hög arbetsbelastning, bristande möjlighet till återhämtning och krav som inte står i proportion till resurserna.

Särskilt utsatta är kvinnodominerade yrken inom vård, skola och omsorg – där stressrelaterad psykisk ohälsa är den vanligaste orsaken till långtidssjukskrivning. Försäkringskassans data visar att kvinnor löper mer än dubbel risk jämfört med män att sjukskrivas på grund av stressrelaterad psykisk ohälsa. Det bör förtydligas att det är inte ett kvinnorelaterat problem, utan problemet ligger i att just kvinnodominerade yrken ofta drabbas av nedskärningar av personal, vilken i sin tur leder till alltför hög arbetsbelastning. Ett exempel i att försöka motverka detta är det som Kommunal nu kämpar för, att ta bort minutstyrningen inom äldreomsorgen. Något som leder till både bättre arbetsmiljö för de anställda och tryggare och säkrare omsorg för de äldre.

Från individfokus till organisering av arbete

En central poäng i ILOs rapport är behovet av att flytta fokus: från att behandla psykisk ohälsa som ett individuellt problem till att förebygga psykosociala risker där de uppstår – i organiseringen av arbetet.

ILO delar in den psykosociala arbetsmiljön i tre nivåer:

  • arbetets krav och innehåll
  • hur arbetet leds och organiseras
  • de övergripande systemen: arbetstid, styrning, digitalisering och inflytande

Dessa tre nivåer känns tydligt igen från de grundläggande rättigheterna för en säker arbetsmiljö globalt (konvention 155) och i våra OSA‑föreskrifter. Både ILOs rapport och den utvärdering av OSA som genomfördes 2022 visar att implementeringen ofta brister, både globalt och nationellt. Riskbedömningar görs – men följs inte alltid av faktiska förändringar i hur arbetet organiseras. Även kontroll på att vidtagna åtgärder faktiskt gör skillnad saknas ofta.

Social dialog – fortfarande en blind fläck

Trots att psykisk ohälsa, p g a arbetet är en av de största arbetsmiljöriskerna, behandlas frågan fortfarande förvånansvärt styvmoderligt i många sammanhang. ILO:s genomgång av 338 gränsöverskridande kollektivavtal visar att endast 18 procent explicit tar upp psykosociala faktorer eller mental hälsa inom arbetsmiljöarbetet.

Det visar på hur stor bristen på kunskap om dessa frågor är. Det behövs ett rejält kunskapslyft om hur man förebygger psykisk ohälsa orsakat av arbetet, både globalt och nationellt. Fokuset behövs flyttas till arbetets organisering från det som arbetsgivaren så ofta fokuserar på: individens privata eventuella problem. Vår nu 10-åriga OSA-föreskrift lyfter just kravet på kunskap i 4 § (AFS 2023:2):

 Arbetsgivaren ska se till att chefer och arbetsledare har kunskaper om hur man förebygger och hanterar ohälsosam arbetsbelastning, och kränkande särbehandling.

Arbetsgivaren ska se till att det finns förutsättningar att omsätta dessa kunskaper i praktiken.

Ur ett fackligt perspektiv är vägen framåt tydlig:

  • Stärk tillsynen och efterlevnaden av OSA‑föreskrifterna nationellt.
  • Flytta fokus från individ till organisation – arbetsgivare är och ska hållas  ansvariga för hur arbete organiseras.
  • Stärk skyddsombudens mandat och resurser i frågor om organisatorisk och social arbetsmiljö.
  • Integrera psykosociala risker tydligare i kollektivavtal och i det systematiska arbetsmiljöarbetet.
  • På global nivå behöver samverkan mellan arbetstagare och arbetsgivare stärkas.

ILO:s budskap är tydligt: psykosociala risker är inte ett oundvikligt inslag i ett modernt arbetsliv. De är ett resultat av politiska val, företagsstrategier och maktförhållanden – och kan därför förändras. Tillsammans kan vi ändra på villkoren – slutsatsen blir därför som vanligt: don’t mourn – organize!

Cyrene Martinsson Waern – När arbetet dödar – LO Bloggen (When work kills…)

Regeringen måste göra mer för att stoppa hot och våld i arbetslivet – Altinget

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1968326160439577

 

2026, 2026 Asia-Pacific, 2026 Australia, Events listing, News

Tasmania: Unions commemorate 28 April around the global theme ‘Fighting psychosocial hazards at work’ 

 Unions, workers, families, community members, and political leaders will gather today to mark International Workers’ Memorial Day (IWMD), a day of remembrance observed across the globe on the 28th of April each year.

 Today’s service will take place at the Workers’ Commemorative Park in Invermay. After unveiling the significant works at the Park last year, this year’s service will see seven additional commemorative plaques laid to recognise Tasmanian workers who died because of their work. Each plaque represents a person who should have come home.

 “IWMD is deeply important to unions because it is a day that reflects the heart of what we stand for: protecting workers so they can make it home safely. The day is a solemn reminder that for every safety campaign we run, there is a worker who did not make it home,” said Unions Tasmania Secretary, Jessica Munday.

 The theme for IWMD in 2026 is ‘Fighting psychosocial hazards at work.’ Ms Munday says this is particularly relevant here in Tasmania.

 “Psychological injuries are rising faster – and costing more – in Australia than any other type of workplace harm. The same is true here. Mental health related workers compensation claims have tripled from 5% in 2015/6 to 14.7% of all Tasmanian claims last year,” said Ms Munday.

 “Because work doesn’t just break bodies anymore – it breaks minds. Workplace violence, work overload, burnout – they may not make the headlines but their impact on a worker can be catastrophic. Workplaces absolutely need to be doing more to support the mental health of their people.”

 “A safe workplace is not just one where you survive the day – it’s one where you are not destroyed by it. Sometimes we hear a death at work called an ‘accident’. But most workplace deaths are predictable, preventable, and repeated. When the same hazards keep killing people, that’s not a coincidence – it’s a systemic failure to act and we all have a responsibility to prevent that harm,” Ms Munday said.

 Ms Munday hopes that attendees, particularly political representatives, leave the service with a renewed commitment to act to making Tasmanian workplaces safer.

 

2026, 2026 Belgium, 2026 Europe, Events listing, News

Belgium: ACV-CSC initiatives for 28 April

Dear colleagues,

 With this email, we would like to inform you about the initiatives of ACV‑CSC around 28 April 2026, Workers’ Memorial Day. In Belgium, workers are confronted with a government that is strongly committed to far‑reaching labour market flexibilisation. This has led, among other things, to a significant increase in the number of workers employed under various atypical short‑term contracts. These workers receive little or no information, training or guidance in the field of occupational safety and health. As a result, we see an increase in the number of occupational accidents and work‑related diseases among these workers. Increasingly, workers are no longer covered by occupational accident insurance because of their employment status, or they are unable to have a work-related disease recognised as an occupational disease.

 As the government plans are now being fully rolled out, we have decided to dedicate 28 April 2026 to a better protection for these atypical workers. All information can be found on our website (available only in French and Dutch).

 FR: La santé et la sécurité au travail ne sont pas un jeu!

NL: Veiligheid en gezondheid op het werk is geen spel! | ACV

 We would also like to thank the ITUC for annually promoting Workers’ Memorial Day and for fighting alongside us for safer and healthier workplaces for all workers.

 Best regards,

Kris Van Eyck

Head industrial relations department ACV-CSC

Events listing, News, Resources

Canada: Workers’ Day of Mourning at 40 – CUPE

The Workers’ Day of Mourning was created by CUPE members more than 40 years ago to remember those who lost their lives on the job and to inspire workers to fight to prevent further tragedies.

On April 28, CUPE members across the country gather to honour workers who have been killed or injured on the job.

We mourn the loss of four members of our CUPE family in 2025:

  • Miguel Escalante Ledesma, CUPE 1000, Ontario
  • Nabil El-Ahmed, CUPE 5167, Ontario
  • Kulbir Kalia, CUPE 3338, British Columbia
  • Jose Castillo, CUPE 416, Ontario

We also mourn the very recent loss of the following member:

  • Richard Anstett, CUPE 79, Ontario

We hope you will join CUPE members and workers around the world in renewing our shared commitment to preventing workplace injuries and deaths and ensuring the health and safety of all workers.

CUPE has also declared 2026 its Year of Health and Safety. Throughout the year, we are placing a special focus on strengthening our health and safety committees. Strong committees save lives. They identify hazards, prevent injuries and help ensure every worker returns home safe. We encourage locals to support their committees, empower worker participation and take action to improve health and safety in every workplace.

You can help advance this work in your local by accessing CUPE’s health and safety resources.

2026, 2026 Asia-Pacific, 2026 Bangladesh, Events listing, News

Bangladesh: Rana Plaza tragedy – the fight for safe work is not over

On 24 April 2013 garment workers in Dhaka arrived for another shift at Rana Plaza. The cracks in the walls had been visible the day before. Workers raised the alarm and were told the building was safe. Within hours, all eight floors had collapsed, killing 1,134 people, most of them women, and injuring thousands more.

It was not an accident but the outcome of an industry that had spent decades treating workers’ safety as someone else’s problem. The tragedy came just four days before the annual commemoration of workers killed or harmed by their work, International Workers’ Memorial Day on 28 April. And it illustrated how union action can deliver the fundamental changes necessary to make work safer and healthier.

Built from the rubble

Three weeks after the collapse, IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union sat down with international garment brands. What they negotiated had never existed in the industry before: a legally binding agreement holding brands directly accountable for safety in their supply chains.

The Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety came into force in May 2013, signed by 43 brands from 13 countries. Its logic was straightforward and radical at the same time — that brands profiting from cheap labour in faraway factories could no longer outsource responsibility for what happened inside them.

What followed has been measurable, documented change. Over 48,000 factory inspections have been carried out so far, checking compliance with fire, electrical, boiler and structural safety standards. The remediation rate stands at 81 per cent. More than 2.5 million workers have been trained in workplace safety, including gender-based violence prevention. Over 1,831 complaints have been successfully resolved through enforceable grievance mechanisms. Around 12,632 workers now serve on factory safety committees in Bangladesh.

The path has not always been smooth. Legal challenges from factory owners threatened the Accord’s ability to operate in Bangladesh. Negotiations to renew the agreement were protracted and at times precarious. Some brands dragged their feet, and others left. But the framework held and it expanded.

From Bangladesh to the world

In November 2023, brands and trade unions renewed their commitments under a new International Accord. The agreement extended the model to Pakistan, where 351 factories were inspected by March 2026. Across both programmes, the International Accord now counts 297 brand signatories, covering around 2.5 million workers in Bangladesh alone.

The Accord also demonstrated something beyond its own borders: that binding, independently administered, transparent agreements deliver results where voluntary codes and self-regulation do not. That lesson shaped the global push for mandatory human rights due diligence legislation, culminating in the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive in 2024.

The current International Accord runs until the end of 2026. Renegotiations are coming, and IndustriALL Global Union is clear that the next iteration must build on what has been achieved — not retreat from it.  IndustriALL and its Bangladeshi affiliates are now working on its proposals to ensure that the scope of coverage and complaint mechanism are expanded. Trade unions also want to ensure that the governance structure works effectively.

IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie said: “Thirteen years ago, 1,134 workers died in a building that should never have been occupied. What was built in response, through years of campaigning, negotiation and organized worker power, has saved lives and changed what the industry considered possible. The question now is whether brands will honour that by committing to a stronger Accord, or whether they will treat the renegotiation as an opportunity to water it down.

“For IndustriALL Global Union, the answer is not in doubt. The workers who make the world’s clothes deserve no less than what the Accord at its best has always promised: safety, accountability and a voice.”

Christy Hoffman, general secretary of UNI Global Union, said “we remember all those who were killed, and the many thousands whose lives were changed forever in the garment industry’s worst ever disaster.”

She added: “UNI and IndustriALL founded the Bangladesh Accord because we knew that voluntary commitments to factory safety were not enough. Binding agreements, with unions at the table, are what make workplaces safe. Thirteen years on, that remains as true as ever. As we prepare to negotiate a new Bangladesh Safety Agreement, and as we push to extend the International Accord to other countries, we carry with us the memory of Rana Plaza and the responsibility it places on all of us.”

2026 Canada, 2026 North America, Events listing, News

Canada: Day of Mourning – April 28 – Nova Scotia

Day of Mourning – April 28

The Halifax Day of Mourning Ceremony is at Province House (outside grounds) at 11 am on Tuesday, April 28.

This day is a solemn reminder that workplace safety must remain a top priority for all employers and workers. For the Federation and its affiliated unions, the Day of Mourning is a day when we collectively call for action and continue advocating for safer working conditions, improved safety standards, and enhanced protection for workers across the province.

As a collective voice for workers in Nova Scotia, the Federation of Labour recognizes the importance of the National Day of Mourning in raising awareness about workplace safety issues. Since the Westray Bill was enacted in 1982, almost 700 workers have died at or because of work in our small province and it’s estimated that 1000 workers are killed on the job across Canada annually. Last year 22 workers in our province lost their life at or because of work.

The day serves as an opportunity to acknowledge the daily risks and hazards many workers face, particularly those in high-risk occupations.

Through events and ceremonies held on this day, the Federation of Labour and its members aim to promote a workplace safety culture and encourage employers to prioritize the health and well-being of their employees.

The National Day of Mourning is also a chance for the Federation to come together with its members and the broader community to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives or have been injured on the job.

By organizing and participating in events such as candlelight vigils, flag-raising ceremonies, and moments of silence, or ceremonies like this today, the Federation of Labour and its members pay their respects to those impacted by workplace accidents.

This day is a powerful reminder that every worker has the right to a safe and healthy work environment and must work together to prevent future tragedies.

The following ceremonies will be observed in Nova Scotia this year:

Annapolis Valley Labour Council

Kentville Memorial Park — at Workers’ Memorial Stone Monument

Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at 3:00pm – 4:00pm

Contact: Leslie Campbell at Annapolis Valley Labour Council – email: lccp66@hotmail.com

Wreaths available for order from Silver Horse Florist:  (902) 678-4728

Nova Scotia Federation of Labour 

Nova Scotia Legislature (Province House) outside grounds 

Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at 11:00am

Contact: Amy Morris at NS Federation of Labour: (902) 454-6735 / email: accounts@nslabour.ca

Wreaths available for order from Flower Trends Florists: (902) 434-5150. 

Cutoff for orders is April 20th

Cape Breton District Labour Council

Ashby Legion, 35 State Street, Sydney

Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Contact: Natasha Hogan – email: natasha.hogan.cbdlc@hotmail.com

Wreaths available for order from MacKillops Flowers: (902) 539-1214

Pictou County Injured Workers Association

Trenton Park, 119 Park Road, Trenton

Tuesday, April 28, 2024 at 6:00pm

Contact: Mary Lloyd – email: marypciwa@eastlink.ca

Wreaths available for order from McKean’s Flowers: (902) 752-4146

https://nslabour.ca/day-of-mourning-april-28-3/

2026, 2026 Asia-Pacific, 2026 Fiji, Events listing, News

Fiji: Union proposes psychosocial leave for teachers

Work conditions, staff burnout, leave entitlement

The Fiji Teachers Union says psychosocial leave is needed to address work‑related stress, family pressures and burnout. In response to the union’s call on the government to table the proposal in Parliament, the employment minister has now confirmed this will happen.

The union call came in an event marking the psychosocial hazards-themed International Workers’ Memorial Day. Fiji Teachers Union (FTU) general secretary Muniappa Goundar said psychosocial leave was necessary to improve employee welfare.

He said workers often faced family issues and psychological stress at home and required a few days off to resolve such matters.

“Migration of workers can be seen when adequate rest or welfare is not considered. In the teaching profession, migration continues to New Zealand and Australia due to better working conditions,” he said.

He described the current work environment as fast‑paced, demanding and often unforgiving. According to Mr Goundar, psychosocial issues often stem from toxic work environments, excessive workloads, job insecurity and a lack of supervisory support.

He said Australia had implemented a 10‑day psychosocial leave to assist workers dealing with family disputes or personal issues. “Workers are assets, not machines to be used and discarded,” Mr Goundar said, calling for better leave provisions and rest periods to ensure employees felt valued. He added that the ongoing debate over absenteeism, commonly referred to as Monday or Friday fever, could be addressed if employees were given adequate rest.

“Safe working environments, decent wages and fair workloads are not privileges — they are the rights of every worker,” he said.

Mr Goundar said teachers were facing workload burnout but remained committed to their profession, stressing that appropriate measures were needed to ensure their rest and wellbeing. “Teachers are now burdened with excessive administrative work, when their priority should be teaching,” he said. He said the proposal for psychosocial leave should be tabled in Parliament at its next sitting to ensure timely implementation for staff welfare.

Minister for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations Agni Deo Singh confirmed the proposal would be tabled in Parliament.

More: Fiji Sun.

2026, 2026 Asia-Pacific, 2026 Europe, 2026 Turkey, Events listing, News

Turkey: At least 432 workers have died at work so far in 2026

Search and rescue teams work at the scene after a worker was trapped during a collapse at a construction site. (IHA Photo)

At least 148 workers lost their lives in workplace-related incidents in Türkiye in March 2026, bringing the total number of deaths in the first three months of the year to 432, according to data compiled by the Health and Safety Labor Watch Council (ISIG). The labour safety group issued its findings ahead of International Workers’ Memorial Day on 28 April.

Structural risks highlighted over ‘accidents’

In its report, ISIG underlined that what are often described as workplace accidents should instead be seen as preventable deaths linked to working conditions. The report pointed to employer-driven cost pressures and insufficient safeguards as key factors behind the fatalities.

It also drew attention to vulnerable groups, particularly child workers and migrant labourers, who often face insecure and unregulated employment conditions.

Migrant workers, women among victims

Among those who died in March, 16 were women, while at least 15 were migrant workers. The report noted that migrant worker deaths were largely concentrated in agriculture and construction, sectors where informal employment is more widespread.

Union representation remained extremely limited, with only three of the deceased workers reported to be unionised.

Turkiye Today.

2026, 2026 Global, Events listing, News

Global: Safe work, healthy workplaces: Tackling psychosocial risks at work – ILO

Safe work, healthy workplaces: Tackling psychosocial risks at work

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.

World day for safety and health at work 2026
Content also available in: español •français   • italiano • 中文

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.