AFL-CIO has published its Workers, Memorial Day toolkit
This year’s theme is in the USA is “Fight for Our Lives: Safe Jobs Now!” On our website, you can:
Dear colleagues,
In 2025, ITUC is proposing continuing the 28 April theme of Occupational health and safety: A fundamental right at work. This year, there will be an explicit additional focus on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and digitisation on occupational health and safety.
Although Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be used to mitigate monotonous work, AI at work is increasing work intensification, monitoring and surveillance, generating negative impacts on mental and physical wellbeing, as workers experience the extreme pressure of constant, real-time micromanagement and automated assessment. In the coming months, ITUC will provide related resources and social media assets. Meanwhile, to give you some overall ideas, we are attaching a short article produced by our expert Rory O’Neill.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) will also be highlighting workplace health and safety risks associated with AI (see ILO announcement in English; Spanish, French). https://www.ilo.org/meetings-and-events/growth-artificial-intelligence-and-digitalisation-leap-right-direction
Many organisations will, of course, have their own priority subjects. The critical issue is that unions mobilise to ensure 28 April remains the biggest and most effective OHS activity anywhere.
Please ensure you inform ITUC of your planned activities and any related resources and send details of your events as they occur. We will post resources and updates on our dedicated 28 April webpage, www.28april.org. You can send details of your activities to rory.oneill@ituc-csi.org
Best wishes,
Luc Triangle
General Secretary
Estimados/estimadas colegas,
En 2025, la CSI propone continuar con el tema del 28 de abril: “Salud y seguridad en el trabajo: Un derecho fundamental en el trabajo”.
Este año, habrá un enfoque adicional explícito sobre el impacto de la inteligencia artificial (IA) y la digitalización en la salud y la seguridad en el trabajo.
Aunque la inteligencia artificial puede utilizarse para mitigar el trabajo monótono, en el contexto laboral, la IA está aumentando la intensificación del trabajo, la supervisión y la vigilancia, generando impactos negativos en el bienestar mental y físico sobre los trabajadores al sentir la presión extrema de la microgestión constante en tiempo real y la evaluación automatizada.
En los próximos meses, la CSI proporcionará recursos relacionados y materiales para las redes sociales. Mientras tanto, adjuntamos un breve artículo elaborado por nuestro experto Rory O’Neill, el cual podrá darles unas ideas generales iniciales.
La Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT) también destacará los riesgos para la salud y la seguridad en el lugar de trabajo asociados a la IA (véase el anuncio de la OIT en varios idiomas (inglés, español, francés): Crecimiento de la Inteligencia Artificial y la Digitalización: ¿un salto en la dirección correcta para la seguridad y la salud en el trabajo? | International Labour Organization)
Por supuesto, muchas organizaciones tendrán sus propios temas prioritarios. La cuestión fundamental es que los sindicatos se movilicen para garantizar que el 28 de abril siga siendo la mayor y más eficaz actividad en materia de salud y seguridad en el trabajo.
Por favor, asegúrense de informar a la CSI de las actividades que tengan previstas y de cualquier recurso relacionado, y envíen detalles de sus eventos a medida que se produzcan. Publicaremos recursos y actualizaciones en nuestra página web dedicada al 28 de abril, www.28april.org.
Pueden enviar detalles de sus actividades a rory.oneill@ituc-csi.org.
Nuestros mejores deseos,
Luc Triangle
General Secretary
Chères et chers collègues,
En 2025, la CSI propose de poursuivre le thème du 28 avril axé sur la santé et la sécurité au travail : un droit fondamental au travail. Cette année, une attention particulière sera portée à l’impact de l’intelligence artificielle (IA) et de la numérisation sur la santé et la sécurité au travail.
Bien que l’IA puisse contribuer à atténuer le travail monotone, son utilisation de le cadre du travail accentue souvent l’intensification du travail, le contrôle et la surveillance. Ces dynamiques entraînent des effets négatifs sur le bien-être mental et physique des travailleurs, qui subissent une pression accrue en raison d’une microgestion constante en temps réel et d’évaluations automatisées.
Dans les mois à venir, la CSI mettra à votre disposition des ressources spécifiques ainsi que du contenu pour les réseaux sociaux. En attendant, nous vous partageons un court article rédigé par notre expert Rory O’Neill, pour vous offrir des pistes de réflexion.
L’Organisation internationale du travail (OIT) abordera également les risques pour la santé et la sécurité liés à l’IA. Vous pouvez consulter leur annonce disponible en plusieurs langues (anglais, espagnol, français) : Croissance de l’intelligence artificielle et de la digitalisation : un bond dans la bonne direction pour la sécurité et la santé au travail ?.
De nombreuses organisations mettront en avant leurs propres priorités thématiques. L’essentiel reste que les syndicats se mobilisent pour faire du 28 avril une journée d’action significative et efficace en matière de santé et de sécurité au travail.
Nous vous invitons à informer la CSI de vos activités prévues et à partager toutes ressources associées. N’hésitez pas à envoyer les détails de vos événements au fur et à mesure de leur déroulement. Ces informations seront publiées sur notre page dédiée au 28 avril : www.28april.org. Vous pouvez transmettre vos contributions à l’adresse suivante : rory.oneill@ituc-csi.org.
Avec nos meilleurs vœux,
Luc Triangle
General Secretary
ITUC has published a large variety of 28 April graphics for free use across social media channels and beyond. Below are the Spanish language resources. These graphics are suitable for X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and more. You can also download the images here.
La CSI ha publicado una gran variedad de gráficos del 28 de abril para uso gratuito en los canales de redes sociales y más allá. A continuación se encuentran los recursos en español. Estos gráficos son adecuados para X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook y más. También puedes descargar las imágenes aquí.
#iwmd24 | Climate risks for workers | ITUC International Workers’ Memorial Day/Day of Mourning theme announced
The climate crisis is creating new and heightened occupational risks to workers, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is warning.
Extreme weather and changing weather patterns are affected job security and health for workers, the global union body says. In response to the crisis, it says, the theme for International Workers’ Memorial Day on 28 April 2024 will be ‘Climate risks for workers’.
Heat-related deaths and diseases in workers in agriculture, construction and other outdoor jobs have soared, ITUC notes. It adds work in extreme weather can cause fatigue and increases in workplace injuries and stress-related disease. Elevated levels of airborne pollution associated with heatwaves can lead to increased hospitalisations and deaths, it warns. And it adds higher UV exposures place workers at risk of chronic health problems, including skin cancer and eye damage (macular degeneration).
The ITUC alert comes in the wake of climate-related health warnings from UN agencies. A World Health Organisation (WHO) December 2023 statement noted the year had witnessed “an alarming surge in climate-related disasters, including wildfires, heatwaves and droughts, leading to the displacement of populations, agricultural losses and heightened air pollution. The ongoing climate crisis has significantly increased the risk of life-threatening diseases such as cholera, malaria and dengue.”
A September 2023 International Labour Organisation (ILO) just transition policy brief, Occupational safety and health in a just transition, noted the climate crisis “without proper controls in place, may increase the risk for injury, disease and death for workers due to heat stress, extreme weather events, exposure to hazardous chemicals, air pollution and infectious disease, among others.”
ILO added: “Numerous health effects on workers have been linked to climate change, including injuries, cancer cardiovascular disease, respiratory conditions, and effects on their psychosocial health. There has been an increase in the estimated number of deaths among the global working-age population due to exposure to hot temperatures.”
ITUC notes that climate change is also putting workers at increased risk from infections. “The climate crisis, urbanisation and changing land use are impacting on occupational health and safety and have led to biological hazards posing new risk or risks in new places,” a December 2024 ITUC briefing on biological hazards notes.
It is a point reinforced in the ILO just transition policy brief, which warns “risks from vector-borne diseases, such as malaria or dengue fever, will increase with warming temperatures, including potential shifts in geographic range of these vectors as a result of climate change.
“This development affects all workers, especially outdoor workers who are at higher risk of contracting vector-borne diseases, from vectors such as mosquitoes, fleas and ticks. Moreover, infectious diseases may also affect workers via waterborne and foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella spp. when they have direct contact with contaminated water or food.”
ILO has said it will commemorate World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April, and will follow the theme adopted by ITUC and unions worldwide, focusing on “the impacts of climate change on occupational safety and health”. ILO added it will produce supporting promotional materials including a poster and report and will organise a global event with experts and guest speakers from governments, employers and workers “to discuss how to protect workers and respond to this global challenge.”
ITUC will produce its own guides and social media resources which will be available on its dedicated International Workers’ Memorial Day website, www.28april.org
Resources
ITUC global shifts – just transition webpages.
Hazards climate and workers’ health webpages.
The impacts of climate change on occupational safety and health
Every 28 April, the International Labour Organization (ILO) commemorates the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, focusing on a timely theme related to occupational safety and health.This year, the theme will mirror the theme adopted by unions worldwide, and will focus on exploring the impacts of climate change on occupational safety and health.Changing weather patterns have notable impacts on the world of work, particularly affecting workers safety and health. Examples of occupational risks exacerbated by climate change include heat stress, UV radiation, air pollution, major industrial accidents, extreme weather events, an increase in vector-born diseases and increased exposure to chemicals.The ILO will produce several materials for the World Day 2024, including a report, promotional materials, as well as a global event with experts and guest speakers from governments, employers and workers to discuss how to protect workers and respond to this global challenge (April 2024 Exact Date To be announced).
Contact Information
Safe Day Team
Email : safeday@ilo.org
Manal Azzi, Occupational Safety and Health Team Lead
Email : azzi@ilo.org
AFL-CIO’s Workers Memorial Day web page is live! – and available for you to order materials and download artwork to use for your events, trainings, conferences, newsletters, and more. aflcio.org/WorkersMemorialDay
Each year since 1989, we commemorate this day to honor those we have lost on the job and we will organize to make the fundamental right of a safe job a reality for all workers. This year’s theme is “Organize! Safe Jobs Now.” focusing on dignity at work, the growth of the labor movement and equity through safe workplaces.
Please join us this April 28 to honor the victims of workplace injury and illness and the call to organize 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, the labor movement will defend the right of every worker to a safe job and build collective power to make that right a reality.
We can’t do this alone, and together, we need to organize all workers in this fight for safer working conditions. We are building campaigns leading up to the end of April and throughout the year to mourn and fight.
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 visit this page to view and download this year’s materials and artwork. These include posters, stickers, and fliers in English and Spanish. Stickers are available for “Organize! Safe Jobs Now” and for “Mourn for the Dead. Fight for the Living.”
Please place your order for materials here. You can either pick up materials in person at our Washington DC headquarters or have them shipped to you.
Workers Memorial Day Events:
We want to hear about your Workers Memorial Day plans! Please share your event with us so that we can include it on our map of events across the country. Plan events, actions, activities and observances with suggestions in our flier.
Toolkit Coming Soon:
We are working expediently to distribute 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, digital resources, infographics and more.
How to reach out to us about Workers Memorial Day:
oshmail@aflcio.org or 202-637-5047
Hashtags you can use to build solidarity online around Workers Memorial Day:
#iwmd2023 #WorkersMemorialDay #1uSafety
Please note: Our annual report, Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect, will be published at the end of April. You can place orders now for a hard copy of the report, and it will be shipped later. It will also be available electronically.
Come organize with us!
2023 will be a key year for trade unions and working people. Last year, we secured recognition that a safe and healthy work environment is a right for workers. This has given a new impetus to organising for health and safety – a crucial part of union action. This year’s Workers’ Memorial Day, April 28 is dedicated to this core union priority.
Owen Tudor, ITUC deputy general secretary.
ITUC newsletter, 6 February 2023.
Fiji’s Ministry of Employment in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services has implemented a five-year Occupational Health Service Strategic Plan.
The partners include employers’ and unions’ representatives, international partners, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and World Health Organisation (WHO).
“My Ministry in collaboration with the tripartite National OHS Advisory Board has already endorsed the process to ratify ILO Convention 161 on Occupational Health Services, ILO Convention 187 on the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health, and ILO Convention 162 on the elimination of asbestos,” said Parveen Kumar Bala, the Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations.
Source: Fiji Sun
