Tag Archives: 28 april

2021, 2021 North America, 2021 USA, Events listing, graphics, Resources

USA: 28 April resources, listing and further information from AFL-CIO

 

This Workers Memorial Day, April 28, is just around the corner. As workers continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic in their workplaces every day, the labor movement will commemorate those we have lost on the job and call to renew the promise of a safe job for every worker and fight for stronger safety and health protections. This year’s theme is “Renew the Promise. Safe Jobs for All.”

Attached is AFL-CIO President Trumka’s letter, launching Workers Memorial Day 2021 and the AFL-CIO’s campaign for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. Also attached are English and Spanish versions of this year’s flier.

Please join us this April 28 to honor the victims of workplace injury and illness and to keep on fighting for the promise of safe jobs for all workers. As we do every year, trade unionists around the country and globe will organize our communities and workplaces to observe Workers Memorial Day. We will highlight the toll of job injuries and deaths; demand that elected officials put workers’ well-being above corporate interests; and demand safe jobs for all. This year, and every year, we will make it clear that the labor movement will defend the right of every worker to a safe job and fight until that promise is fulfilled. 

Please use the resources below when planning for this year’s Workers Memorial Day and reach out to us with any questions, concerns, comments along the way.

Materials and Artwork:
Please scroll down our Workers Memorial Day home page to view this year’s materials and artwork: http://aflcio.org/workersmemorialday

This year, we resumed the printing and shipping of orders from our building. You can place an order for materials on our website here: aflcio.org/wmd-materials

Workers Memorial Day Events:

Planning your events and commemorations will continue to be different this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please consider virtual events, actions, activities and observances with suggestions in our flier. If gathering in person, please follow CDC’s guidelines on organizing large events and gatherings.

We want to hear about your Workers Memorial Day plans! Please share your event with us here so others can view and we can include it on our map.

More Materials Coming Soon:
Soon, we will be distributing more materials to help you plan your commemorations and advocacy efforts. These include talking points, sample materials for media outreach, worker safety and health facts, state-by-state safety and health data, fact sheets on safer workplaces through the PRO Act and the recently introduced workplace violence legislation, COVID-19 facts, digital resources, infographics and other information.

How to reach out to us about Workers Memorial Day:
oshmail@aflcio.org or 202-637-5305

Hashtags you can use to build solidarity online around Workers Memorial Day and the PRO Act:
#IWMD2021 #WMD2021 #1uSafety #PROAct

2021, 2021 global, News

Global: Work health and safety must be fundamental

A death toll of work that claims five lives every minute of every hour of every day around the world demonstrated the scale of the problem. That’s why, says Owen Tudor, that two years ago International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference agreed that occupational health and safety should become a fundamental right at work. Tudor, the deputy general secretary of the global union confederation ITUC, said the ILO’s centennial conference was held nearly a year before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, and changed the working world.

“The pandemic has only reinforced the case for health and safety at work to be given a higher profile and a higher priority. But it still hasn’t happened,” he wrote in an Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI) blog post. Later this month, workers’ representatives on the ILO Governing Body will be arguing that the final steps that need to be taken to give effect to that centennial conference decision should be scheduled for this year’s ILO conference in June.

“If we can’t secure agreement, we will be demanding that at the very least, the next Governing Body meeting this November should complete the preparations, so that the final decision can be taken without further delay, in June 2022,” Tudor explained. That will mean persuading more governments and the employers’ lobby group IOE to throw their weight behind the move.

According to Tudor many major employers, including those who are ETI members, already support the move. “We want to see more employers doing what ETI’s members have done, and come out publicly to support the speedy recognition of occupational health and safety as a fundamental right at work…  making occupational health and safety a fundamental right at work would reduce the toll of death, injury and illness for workers, businesses, families and communities. It would save lives at work. We must do it now.”

See: Occupational health and safety should be a fundamental right at work, ETI blog, 8 March 2021.

2021, News, Resources

Tema para el 28 de abril en 2021: La salud y seguridad es un derecho fundamental en el trabajo

La pandemia de COVID-19 ha puesto de relieve una crisis sanitaria en lugares de trabajo del mundo entero. Los trabajadores y trabajadoras ven denegados continuamente incluso los elementos más básicos para la protección de su salud y seguridad, incluyendo consultas con representantes y comités de seguridad respecto a políticas y prácticas seguras respecto a la COVID-19, libre acceso a equipo de protección personal y no sufrir represalias por plantear inquietudes respecto a la salud y seguridad en el trabajo. Son problemas que existían ya antes de la pandemia, ocasionando millones de muertes cada año a causa de accidentes laborales o enfermedades relacionadas con el trabajo.

La pandemia ha venido a demostrar por qué la salud y seguridad debe constituir un derecho para cualquier persona que trabaja. La enfermedad en cualquier lugar amenaza su transmisión a todo el mundo. A instancias de los sindicatos durante la Conferencia Internacional del Trabajo en 2019 se acordó que la Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT) debería reconocer la salud y seguridad en el trabajo como parte de los derechos fundamentales en el trabajo –principios de trabajo decente, vinculantes y aceptados universalmente para proteger a todos los trabajadores, en todo el mundo–. La Declaración del Centenario de la OIT admite que “condiciones de trabajo seguras y saludables son fundamentales para el trabajo decente”.

El 28 de abril de 2021, los sindicatos pueden enviar un mensaje de que la protección de la salud y seguridad en el trabajo debe reconocerse como un derecho para todos. Tanto si se trata de la COVID-19 o de cánceres profesionales, o bien de lesiones laborales y enfermedades industriales, todo trabajador ha de poder hacer oír su voz y tener derecho a la debida protección. Nadie debería arriesgarse a morir para ganarse la vida.

Recursos y actualizaciones de publicarán en las páginas dedicadas al 28 de Abril: www.28april.org

Informe de Campaña de la CSI

2020, 2020 Australia, Events listing, News

Australia: Workers have the power to make work safer – MUA

Jake Field, the Maritime Union of Australia national safety and training officer. Photo: MUA

Every year on April 28 workers around the world commemorate the lives of their workmates, loved ones and friends who have been tragically killed or had the trajectory of their lives thrown off course by a serious work-related injury or illness.

This year is no different.

During COVID-19 workers are still suffering; they are still dying and they are being injured and maimed on the job.

The statistics still reflect the inaction of governments and regulators and the callousness and greed of employers, who know they are never going to be at risk of a physical, mental or emotional injury from the work they do.

More in Green Left.

2020, 2020 Bahrain, Events listing, News

Bahrain: Stop COVID-19, Protect Workers! No to the exploitation of workers, especially during a pandemic!

GFBTU Bahrain says: Stop COVID-19, Protect Workers! No to the exploitation of workers, especially during a pandemic! #BWI2020IWMD #iwmd20

 

 

2020, 2020 Belgium, Events listing, News

Belgium: ACV-BIE Belgique lors de la célébration de la journée commémorative des travailleurs le 28 avril

ACV-BIE Belgium during the celebration of worker s’ commemorative day on April 28

 

2020, 2020 UK, Events listing, News, Videos

UK: LET’S EDUCATE, AGITATE, ORGANISE AND INSPIRE WORKERS TO JOIN UNIONS AND FIGHT FOR A BETTER TOMORROW! – Unite/BWI

Video

Continue reading UK: LET’S EDUCATE, AGITATE, ORGANISE AND INSPIRE WORKERS TO JOIN UNIONS AND FIGHT FOR A BETTER TOMORROW! – Unite/BWI →

2020, 2020 Mauritius, Events listing, Gallery, News

Mauritius: On 28 April CMWEU calls on LafargeHolcim to stop its exploitative outsourcing scheme

CMWEU from Mauritius calls on LafargeHolcim to stop its exploitative outsourcing scheme coinciding with Workers’ Memorial Day. #BWI2020IWMD #iwmd20

2020, 2020 UK, Events listing, News

UK: A moment of silence is the very least that we can do – Unison

Blog: A moment of silence is the very least that we can do

by Dave Prentis, Genreal Secretary, Unison

… the nation will fall silent at 11am to honour and remember all of the health, care and other key workers who have lost their lives to coronavirus.

It’s an opportunity for us all to take a moment to pay our respects and give thanks to for the lives of those who saved lives, kept key services running and the rest of the country safe. It’s also a further opportunity to show our love to their families, and to remind everyone of the real danger that key workers are placing themselves in to keep our country going and our communities safe.

Our union has been leading the calls for this commemoration which takes place on International Workers Memorial Day. Every year, this is an important date for our union – but never more so than this year. The risk of death should never be something which any of us have to consider as part of our working lives, but for too many workers that is the ongoing reality of the fight against COVID-19.So while we pay our respects to those who have lost their lives, we continue to fight for better protection at work for everyone who needs it – whether those at risk during the current crisis, or any worker whose life is put at risk by their working conditions.

This virus has had a profound impact on all of our lives, but there are clearly those who are particularly affected. This virus has had a disproportionate impact on older people, Black communities and those with prior health conditions. It has also had a huge impact on those whose vital work means they cannot stay at home, including so many UNISON members – taking care of our loved ones, educating our children, keeping our streets safe or making sure that vital food and supplies are delivered – who are putting themselves at risk to protect us all.

Every minute this pandemic continues, people are making extraordinary sacrifices to keep us safe and run our vital services.

That’s why we’ve issued this call for the whole country to take part and remember the sacrifices key workers have made. So wherever you are – at home or at work – please join us in a moment of silence at 11am tomorrow. To say thank you. To remember. To show our solidarity. To remember the dead, but also on International Workers Memorial Day, to fight for the living.

After all that key workers have already given to us all throughout this crisis, it is the very least that we can do.

Blog: A moment of silence is the very least that we can do | General secretary’s blog, News | News | UNISON National

2020, 2020 Global, Events listing, News, Videos

Global: Workers’ Memorial Day Message from UNI GS Christy Hoffman | UNI Global Union

UNI General Secretary Christy Hoffman has issued an International Workers’ Memorial Day message calling on us to honour the workers we have lost during the Covid-19 crisis, but to “fight like hell for the living.”

Using her personal experience and examples from UNI affiliates, GS Hoffman stresses the importance that unions play in establishing safe workplaces and holding employers accountable:

There are valuable lessons we must learn from this crisis.

And one that we must remember is the difference a union can make in terms of health and safety. And it is not only about negotiating the conditions of safe work — it is about representation and a voice on the job lead by rank and file workers. A union health and safety committee is a watchdog, making sure that employers don’t cut corners or require a pace of production that is too fast to be safe. They enable workers, those who are closest to the problem, to expose the hazards and recommend solutions.

Read the full message here. 

Additionally, UNI is joining the ITUC and other global unions in calling on governments and occupational health and safety bodies around the world to recognise Covid-19 first, as an occupational hazard and also an occupational disease.

https://www.uniglobalunion.org/news/workers-memorial-day-message-uni-gs-christy-hoffman