Tag Archives: Europe

Greece: OSETEE held a busy program of events to mark 28 April

Federation of Technical Enterprises Workers’ Associations of Greece, activities for 28 April

The  Federation of Technical Enterprises Workers’ Associations of Greece (OSETEE) held a busy program of events to mark 28 April.

Action program of dr. Andreas Stoimenidis, President of Federation of Technical Enterprises Workers’ Associations of Greece, Vice Chair of EU- OSHA and Political Secretary of GSEE, for Monday, April 28, World Day for Health and Safety at Work and Memorial Day for Workers Who Lost Their Lives.

This year, the World Day coincides with a new record of losses in our country and is dedicated to the  risks emerging from the Digital Transition.

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

  • 6.40 a.m. Interview with the journalist Alexandros Klossas on Parapolitika FM
  • 8.40 a.m. Interview with the journalist Nikos Panagiotopoulos on Talk Radio
  • 9.10 a.m. Interview with the journalists Efi Tzampazi and  Vaggelis Stolakis on Thessaloniki Municipal Radio FM 100
  • 9.30 a.m.  Interview with the journalists Maria Tsakiri and Christos Tsalikidis, on the show NEWSROOM  on ERT 3, 102 FM national radio station.
  • 10.15 a.m. Laying a wreath at Crying Square, in memory of the workers who lost their lives at work.
  • 11.00 a.m. Press Conference by Andreas Stoimenidis at Association of Daily Newspaper Editors of Attica (ΕΣΙΕΑ), Akadimias 20. New data  will be provided from OSETEE on human losses in the workplace.
  • 13.05 p.m. TV interview with journalist Nikos Kaskaras on the show Pulse of the Region on  DION TV
  • 13.30 p.m. TV interview with the journalist Kostas Mavridis on the show  FOCUS  on FLASH TV of West Macedonia. The show will be broadcast at 16.00 pm
  • 16.00 p.m. TV interview with the journalist Christina Kousouni, on the INTEX show on Naftemporiki TV.
  • 17.00 p.m.  Lecture by the President of OSETEE, Andreas Stoimenidis, at the Department of Public Health Policies at the University of West Attica.
  • 18.30 p.m.  Awareness and Memorial event of the Association of Technical Employees of Greece at the headquarters of OSETEE.
  • 19.00 p.m.  TV interview with the journalist Nikoleta Sfakianaki, on the show CRETA TODAY on CRETA TV
  • 19.30 p.m. Interview with the journalist Nikos Bogiopoulos on REAL FM
  • 01.00 a.m. Thuesday 29/04   TV interview with the journalists Nefeli Lygerou and Christos Nedos on the  show LATE NEWS on στo  ERTNEWS national channel

We all have 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.

Sweden: Byggnads commemorates the 3,000 deaths from work last year

BWI affiliate Byggnads has made the following statement for 28 April:
“Today, we think of everyone who doesn’t come home after work to their loved ones.

🕯 In 2024 13 people died in construction accidents in Sweden.
🕯 In total in Sweden, about 3000 people die prematurely each year

from disease or injuries caused by unhealthy work environments.

That everyone should be allowed to come home after the working day, must be a matter of course in Sweden in 2025!”

Italy: Safe Day – Giornata mondiale sicurezza lavoro: sindacati edili depongono corona all’Inail – FILCA CISL

In occasione della giornata mondiale per la salute e sicurezza sul lavoro, i rappresentanti di Feneal, Filca, Fillea, le categorie che tutelano il settore delle costruzioni di Cgil, Cisl e Uil, si sono recati presso la sede dell’Inail a Piazzale Pastore, per deporre una corona di fiori davanti al monumento in memoria degli operai che persero la vita durante lo scavo del traforo di San Gottardo. Prima della deposizione i rappresentanti hanno avuto un incontro con il direttore generale Marcello Fiori, un momento di confronto per analizzare e valutare le misure per la prevenzione degli infortuni e le malattie professionali e anche riguardanti i nuovi rischi connessi alla rivoluzione digitale e alla riorganizzazione del mondo del lavoro.
“Quello di oggi è un appuntamento di grande importanza – sottolinea Marcello Fiori – che rende omaggio alle vittime sul lavoro e testimonia la imprescindibile necessità di un impegno comune tra le parti sociali e le Istituzioni nell’azione di contrasto alla tragedia degli infortuni sul lavoro e delle malattie professionali. Restano fortissime le parole pronunciate da Papa Francesco in occasione dell’udienza dedicata all’Inail: senza tutele e sicurezza per i lavoratori prevale nella società, la cultura dello “scarto”. Rimettere al centro la persona significa “vedere, avere compassione, farsi vicini, fasciare le ferite, farsi carico” e considerare tutti gli infortunati, persone e non numeri. Missione fondamentale dell’Istituto deve essere quella della prevenzione che richiede un accordo, un impegno corale e il pieno coinvolgimento di tutte le Istituzioni e le parti sociali, come il Presidente della Repubblica ci esorta energicamente a realizzare, per mettere in campo tutti gli strumenti necessari: norme tecniche aggiornate e puntuali, informazione e formazione dei lavoratori e dei responsabili per la sicurezza, incentivi e finanziamenti al sistema delle imprese per innovazione tecnologica e sistemi di gestione per la salute e la sicurezza, un efficace e diffuso sistema di controlli”.
“I numeri – dichiarano i segretari di FenealUil, Filca Cisl e Fillea Cgil– continuano ad essere preoccupanti, con 1.090 vittime nel 2024, 49 in più rispetto al 2023, di cui 156 nelle costruzioni, che si riconferma tra i settori più a rischio. Gli infortuni in più rispetto all’anno precedente sono stati 4.215, e 15.745 le denunce di malattie professionali. Anche oggi c’è stato un incidente mortale sul lavoro nella cava di marmo di Miseglia costato la vita ad un uomo di 59 anni.
In questa giornata così importante le nostre categorie, che combattono ogni giorno per contrastare le irregolarità, tutelare i lavoratori e cambiare la cultura sulla sicurezza sul lavoro, avviano una fase collaborativa con Inail, attraverso un tavolo permanente sulla prevenzione in materia di salute e sicurezza che ci auguriamo porterà alla sottoscrizione di un protocollo operativo, in grado di generare effetti concreti quanto prima”.

 

Germany: Weltweites Gedenken an Arbeitsopfer – DGB Bezirk Sachsen

Heute ist #WorkersMemorialDay. Wir gedenken weltweit der Menschen, die bei der Arbeit erkrankt oder zu Tode gekommen sind. Die Beschäftigten müssen durch hohe Standards beim Arbeits- und Gesundheitsschutz besser geschützt werden! Jeden Tag! #StarkMitUns #IWMD #IWMD25 #IWMD2025
Today is #WorkersMemorialDay. We commemorate people worldwide who have fallen ill or died at work. Employees must be better protected through high standards in occupational health and safety! Every day! #StarkMitUns #IWMD #IWMD25 #IWMD2025

Europe: Workers’ Memorial Day: ‘simplification’ is a threat to health and safety

(28 April, 2025) Today is Workers’ Memorial Day. We commemorate all those workers who have lost their lives at work. On this day, we cannot separate their memories from the legislative challenges facing workers in the European Union.

Workers’ lives are protected by national and European legislation. Health and safety laws are a achievement of the international labour movement – particularly in the EU, where there is a strong legal basis in the European Treaties to protect workers. However, these protections are in danger.

The current European Commission is leading an attack on its own rules and regulations in the name of ‘simplification’ – better known as deregulation – with the stated goal of making Europe more ‘competitive’. Numerous protections introduced to safeguard the environment, public health, working conditions, and other crucial aspects of our lives are now at risk. Prominent voices within the European Commission, including President von der Leyen, argue that these rules undermine Europe’s competitiveness. We are witnessing a dangerous pivot towards dismantling the European social model and all the protections it has developed for workers.

From chemical safety (the REACH Regulation) and data privacy (GDPR) to social and environmental corporate reportingeverything appears up for sacrifice to make businesses more competitive. For EPSU, true competitiveness begins with well-funded, quality public services: schools, hospitals, transport infrastructure, universities, and public administration. Prioritising corporate interests over human dignity must be stopped.

EPSU is proud to have negotiated with the employers European rules to protect healthcare workers from injuries from sharp objects. Equally important EU rules provide firefighters with standards for adequate Personal Protective Equipment and regular health checks and protect waste workers from exposure to hazardous substances, among so many other protections for so many workers.

Workers do not need health and safety regulations to be rolled back in the name of ‘competitiveness’ and ‘simplification’. On the contrary, the changing world of work – from teleworking and digitalisation to artificial intelligence and platform work – demands new protections to face new realities. A new ETUI study reveals that workplace stress is responsible for over 10,000 deaths in Europe each year. More than ever, workers need a dedicated directive addressing psychosocial risks.

EPSU will be at the forefront of the fight against the EU’s deregulation agenda. Workers deserve strong protections fit for the future – not weakened rules designed solely for corporate gain.

Slovenia: 28. april, mednarodni delavski dan spomina na umrle na delovnem mestu | ZSSS

Od leta 1996 sindikati po vsem svetu na 28. april obeležujejo Mednarodni spominski dan na umrle in poškodovane delavce (International Workers’ Memorial Day – International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers) z geslom: “Spominjaj se umrlih in bori se za žive!”  Namen je s kampanjami ozaveščanja počastiti spomin na žrtve poškodb pri delu in poklicnih bolezni. 28. aprila se po vsem svetu pregleda statistika umrlih zaradi nezgod pri delu in poklicnih bolezni. ZSSS od leta 2006 dalje na ta dan javnosti posreduje svoja sporočila o stanju varnosti in zdravja pri delu v Sloveniji. Glej spodaj sporočila po letih !

Več ITUC na tej povezavi in Organizacija 28. april na tej povezavi

Izhajajoč iz te tradicije Mednarodna organizacija dela (ILO / MOD) od leta 2003 vsako leto 28. aprila obeležuje Svetovni dan varnosti in zdravja pri delu (World Day for Safety and Health at Work) z namenom, da bi po vsem svetu spodbudila preprečevanje nezgod pri delu in poklicnih bolezni. Gre za kampanjo ozaveščanja, katere namen je usmeriti mednarodno pozornost na nove trende na področju varnosti in zdravja pri delu ter na obseg poškodb pri delu, bolezni in smrtnih žrtev po vsem svetu.

Več ILO na tej povezavi


28. april 2025:

 

 

Sporočila in pozivi ZSSS ob 28. aprilu 2025

Statistika varnosti in zdravja pri delu IRSD, MDDSZ, KIMPDŠ, ZZZS in ZPIZ za leto 2024

 

19/2025 e-novica ZSSS (22. 4. 2025): Revolucija varnosti in zdravja pri delu

20/2025 e-novica ZSSS (24. 4. 2025): Statistika IRSD ob svetovnem dnevu varnosti in zdravja pri delu

21/2025 e-novica ZSSS (25. 4. 2025): Hočemo novo direktivo EU za preprečevanje psihosocialnih tveganj pri delu!

22/2025 e-novica ZSSS (28. 4. 2025): 28. april 2025 – Spominjaj se mrtvih, nepopustljivo se bori za žive!

Poročilo o delu Inšpektorata Republike Slovenije za delo za leto 2024

Europe/Belgium: Workplace stress epidemic killing 10,000 people a year | ETUC

Europe’s workplace stress epidemic is killing around 10,000 people a year, according to a new analysis which shows the urgent need for an EU directive on psychosocial risks at work.

There are 6,190 deaths annually through coronary heart disease which are attributable to psychosocial risks at work across the EU 27 and the UK. Another 4,843 people lose their lives through suicide caused by work-related depression. That means psychosocial risks are a greater danger to workers than physical accidents, which killed 3,286 people in the EU in 2022.

Women workers are disproportionately affected by psychosocial risks, such as long working hours, job insecurity and workplace bullying. There is also a geographic imbalance, with deaths linked to workplace stress more prevalent in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe.

International Workers’ Memorial Day

The figures are based on research by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) being presented on International Workers’ Memorial Day (April 28) which emphasises that these deaths are preventable and tackling them would save companies and governments tens of billions a year.

That is why the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is today calling again on the European Commission to urgently bring forward a directive on psychosocial risks as part of a Quality Jobs Package. It should set binding obligations on employers to identify psychosocial risks through proper risk assessments, with the involvement of workers and trade unions.

EU data shows a legal obligation is the motivator of nine in ten European companies to take action on health and safety at work, but currently there is no EU legislation dedicated to psychosocial risks at work. The mission letter of Roxana Mînzatu, the Commissioner responsible for social rights, says she “should work on improving Europe’s approach to occupational health andsafety, ensuring healthier workplaces and mental health at work.”

Addressing the issue at a joint ETUC-ETUI conference in Brussels on Monday, ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch will say: 

“Today, is a call for decisive, transformative action. If the EU is truly committed to building a future of fair, inclusive, and sustainable employment, then the Quality Jobs Package must include a robust Directive on preventing work-related psychosocial risks.

“The world of work is changing—rapidly, profoundly, and permanently. Digitalisation, AI robotics, platform work, the green transition, are reshaping how we labour and live. But while these transformations offer new opportunities, they also bring new dangers. Chief among them are the increasing psychosocial risks faced by workers: stress, burnout, anxiety, harassment, isolation, and emotional exhaustion. These are not fringe issues. They are systemic, and they are escalating.

“The EU has long been a global standard-setter in workers’ rights. We led the way on physical safety. Now we must lead the way on mental safety.”

ETUC Confederal Secretary Giulio Romani said:

The world of work is changing rapidly and the laws protecting people’s health at work must keep pace. The huge rise in telework and digitalisation since the Covid-19 pandemic has further blurred the boundaries between work and personal life, leading to longer working hours and an always-on-call culture that has taken a severe toll on workers’  health.

“If over 10,000 people a year were killed at work because of physical risks, the Commission would rightly be taking urgent action to make workplaces safer. They cannot sit on their hands because people are losing their lives due to psychosocial risks.  

“On International Workers Memorial Day, trade unions remember the dead and fight for the living. Today that means ensuring we have laws which protects people’s mental and physical health.”

Full ETUI study on The costs of cardiovascular diseases and depression attributable to psychosocial work exposures in the European Union

Sources for ETUI estimates of deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases and depression attributable to psychosocial work exposures in the European Union:

Coronary heart disease

Attributable to four psychosocial work exposures (PWE) for the year 2015 in 28 European countries. Annual number of deaths due to coronary heart diseases attributable to PWE in 2015: 6 190 deaths (5 092 men, 1 098 women). This means 201 359 years of life lost in 2015 (166 331 men, 35 028 women), based on the age at time of death and the average life expectancy. Four relevant PWE : job strain, effort-reward imbalance, job insecurity, long working hours. Source: Sultan-Taïeb H et al (2022) European journal of public health 2022;32:586-592

Depression

Attributable to 5 psychosocial work exposures (PWE) for the year 2015 in 28 European countries. Annual number of deaths due to depression (suicide cases related to depression) attributable to PWE in 2015 : 4 843 deaths (3 931 men, 912 women). This means 211 689 years of life lost in 2015 (172 885 men, 38 805 women), based on the age at time of death and the average life expectancy. Depression cases attributable to PWE are higher among women than men but there is a higher number of years of life lost because of a higher prevalence of suicide among men than women. Five relevant PWE : job strain, effort-reward imbalance, job insecurity, long working hours and workplace bullying. Source: Sultan-Taïeb H et al (2022). European journal of public health 2022;32:586-592.

https://www.etuc.org/en/pressrelease/workplace-stress-epidemic-killing-10000-people-year

Europe: 28 April conference – Is it time for an EU directive on #PsychoSocialRisks? – ETUI

Is it time for an EU directive on #PsychoSocialRisks

This upcoming conference will bring together researchers, trade unions and policymakers to discuss the state of play regarding stress, #burnout, harassment and job insecurity in the world of work

Drawing on the ETUI’s latest research on the topic, the conference will provide in-depth insights into the current landscape of psychosocial risks and the necessary steps to prevent and eliminate these hazards from European #workplaces 

Register here and join the conversation 🔗 etui.org/Z6L

Download the draft programme HERE .  Interpretation will be available in English, French, Italian and Spanish.  The conference will be in-person only.

Date  – 
Location Double Tree by Hilton, (Rue Gineste 3, 1210 Brussels), room Pagoda

Europe: ETUI/ETUC invitation “From data to directive: confronting work-related psychosocial risks in the EU”

From Data to Directive: Confronting Work-Related Psychosocial Risks in the EU.

28 April 2025, 09:00 – 16:00 CET 

Venue: Hotel DoubleTree by HIlton, Rue Gineste 3, 1210 Brussels, Belgium, meeting room: Pagoda

On International Workers’ Memorial Day, we remember the countless workers who have lost their lives due to workplace accidents and occupational diseases. This day is not only about remembrance—it is about action. While significant progress has been made in reducing physical workplace hazards, psychosocial risks—such as work-related stress, burnout, harassment, and job insecurity—remain among the most prevalent and least regulated occupational hazards in Europe. These risks undermine both workers’ health and workplace productivity, and their prevention must become a priority.

This event will bring together experts, policymakers, and trade union representatives to shed light on the latest data on work-related psychosocial risks, their economic and social costs, and the pressing need for stronger regulatory action at the EU level. We will also launch several new ETUI publications, providing in-depth insights into the current landscape of psychosocial risks and the necessary steps to prevent and eliminate these hazards from European workplaces.

Following the publications launch, a high-level roundtable discussion will engage key stakeholders—from trade unions, policymakers, and researchers—to debate the next steps towards a robust EU directive on psychosocial risks. This discussion will be a critical opportunity to shape the future of occupational health and safety, ensuring that mental well-being is given the same priority as physical safety in the workplace.

Join us in driving the change! Let’s turn research into action and make work safer for everyone—because no one should suffer, fall ill, or lose their life because of their job.

Save the date and be part of this pivotal conversation!

Download HERE the draft programme.

To register please click HERE

Europe: Heat deaths at work up by 40 per cent in the EU

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The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)  has reported a significant increase in heat deaths:

The number of people dying at work due to extreme heat is increasing faster in the European Union than any other part of the world, new data shows ahead of International Workers’ Memorial Day.

According to estimates provided to the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), 80,800 people suffered injuries at work due to heat exposure in 2020 and 67 people died as a result of working in extreme heat.

Speaking ahead of International Workers Memorial Day on April 28, ETUC Confederal Secretary Giulio Romani said:

“On International Workers Memorial Day, we remember the dead and fight for the living.

“We cannot accept that every summer dozens of workers needlessly lose their lives because we have not adapted our working practices to the changing climate.

“On building sites or in warehouses, people are dying or being seriously injured because they are forced to keep working in obviously dangerous temperatures.

“Adapting working hours to avoid the hottest part of the day is common sense way to protect workers while maintaining productivity.

“The rising number of deaths across Europe shows employers are failing to do this, which is why the Commission must make it an obligation through legislation on maximum working temperatures.”

Read more: Heat deaths at work up by 40% in the EU