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Global: Heat kills, IUF warns on International Workers’ Memorial Day

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The International Labour Organization estimates that every year, 2.93 million workers die as a result of work-related factors with millions more suffering non-fatal work injuries.  On April 28, International Workers’ Memorial Day (IWMD), we mourn those workers and commit to fighting for the living.

As our climate warms, workers face an increased risk of exposure to excessive heat, which can be fatal. In all IUF sectors — in fields, in kitchens, in factories, in hospitality and tourism — workers risk being exposed to excessive heat. A report produced by the ILO confirms that 71% of the working population is exposed to excessive heat, resulting in 22.85 million injuries and 18,970 deaths annually.

  • For IWMD 2025, the IUF has produced a leaflet to raise awareness and propose measures unions can take to protect workers.
  • The leaflet — Heat Kills — spells out that heat at work must be dealt with immediately, that employers have to fulfill their responsibilities to provide safe and healthy workplaces and that governments must develop legal protections.
  • IUF Acting General Secretary Kristjan Bragason comments: “Our members are on the front line of the climate crisis every day, and they need better protection to match the ever-increasing danger from rising temperatures that is already evident in all our regions.”
  • The IUF will develop more materials on the dangers of excessive heat, will challenge companies to engage with us on how to tackle excessive heat at work, and will work with our sister Global Union Federations to ensure international standards are in place to protect workers.
  • The IUF 28th Congress in 2023 adopted new commitments on tackling the climate crisis, which is driving the increase in temperature and increasingly unstable weather patterns that affect all workers.

The Heat Kills leaflet is available in EnglishFrench and Spanish. 

Global: Safe workplaces for fast food workers now! – IUF

Safe Workplaces for Fast Food workers NOW!

Millions of workers are employed by the Fast Food industry globally, on hundreds of thousands of locations. Despite huge growth in numbers of workers and profitability, the sector has chosen to prioritize profits over people with dangerous and abusive working conditions. For many young workers, it’s our first job and one that leaves us scarred for life.

Fast Food workers deserve a safe workplace. And we deserve it now.

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Global: Lugares de trabajo seguros para trabajadores y trabajadoras del sector de comida rápida ¡AHORA!

Imagen gráfica de un trabajador de Fast Food

¿Cómo se puede reconocer a quien trabaja en el sector de comida rápida en cualquier parte del mundo? Por las cicatrices en los brazos.
La industria de la comida rápida emplea a millones de personas en todo el mundo, en cientos de miles de locales. A pesar del enorme crecimiento del número de trabajadores y trabajadoras y de la rentabilidad, el sector ha optado por priorizar las ganancias sobre las personas, con condiciones de trabajo peligrosas y abusivas. Para muchos trabajadores y trabajadoras jóvenes, es nuestro primer trabajo y nos deja cicatrices de por vida.

Los trabajadores y trabajadoras de comida rápida merecemos un lugar de trabajo seguro. Y nos lo merecemos ahora.

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Global: Des lieux de travail sûrs pour les travailleurs-euses de la restauration rapide MAINTENANT !

Des lieux de travail sûrs pour les travailleurs-euses de la restauration rapide MAINTENANT !

Comment reconnaître un-e employé-e de de la restauration rapide n’importe où dans le monde ? Par les cicatrices sur nos bras.
Des millions de travailleurs-euses sont employé-e-s par l’industrie de la restauration rapide dans le monde, sur des centaines de milliers de sites. Malgré l’augmentation considérable du nombre de travailleurs-euses et de la rentabilité, le secteur a choisi de privilégier les profits au détriment des personnes, avec des conditions de travail dangereuses et abusives. Pour de nombreux-euses jeunes travailleurs-euses, il s’agit de leur premier emploi, qui les marque à vie.

Les travailleurs-euses de la restauration rapide méritent un lieu de travail sûr. Et nous le méritons maintenant.

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Asia/Pacific: 28 เมษา: จดจำแรงงานที่ถูกหลงลืม

ในรายงานขององค์การแรงงานระหว่างประเทศ (ILO) ที่เผยแพร่ในเดือนพฤศจิกายน พ.ศ.2566 เรียกร้องให้คนหันมาสนใจเรื่องสภาพแวดล้อมในการทำงานที่ปลอดภัยมากขึ้น A Call for Safer and Healthier Working Environments  มีเนื้อหาที่ตั้งข้อสังเกตดังนี้

จากประมาณการณ์ตัวเลขล่าสุดที่ทางไอแอลโอได้จัดทำ โดยนับสถิติย้อนหลังถึงพ.ศ. 2562 พบว่ามีคนทำงานกว่า 395 ล้านคนทั่วโลกได้รับบาดเจ็บที่เกี่ยวเนื่องกับการทำงานกรณีไม่ร้ายแรงจนถึงขั้นเสียชีวิต นอกจากนี้ ยังประมาณการณ์ว่าตัวเลขคนทำงานที่เสียชีวิตด้วยเหตุปัจจัยต่างๆ อันเกี่ยวเนื่องกับการทำงานอยู่ที่ราวๆ 2.93 ล้านคน เพิ่มขึ้นมากกว่า 12 เปอร์เซ็นต์จากสถิติปีพ.ศ.2563

ข้อมูลสถิติโดยประมาณการณ์นี้เป็นเครื่องเตือนใจอย่างดีในแง่ที่ว่าคนทำงานยังต้องประสบกับอาการบาดเจ็บขั้นร้ายแรง โรคภัยต่างๆ รวมถึงความเสี่ยงที่จะเสียชีวิตระหว่างทำงาน  นอกเหนือไปจากการเรียกร้องให้มีการบังคับใช้มาตรการต่างๆ เพื่อคุ้มครองคนทำงาน  สร้างหลักประกันด้านสิทธิเกี่ยวกับสุขภาพและความปลอดภัยในการทำงานให้เป็นไปตามหลักอนุสัญญาฉบับที่ 155 ขององค์การแรงงานระหว่างประเทศที่เป็นอนุสัญญาสิทธิหลักขั้นพื้นฐาน

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Asia Pacific/Philippines: On April 28 Fishworkers Solidarity remembers commercial tuna fishing workers lost at sea

On International Workers’ Memorial Day, April 28, the IUF-affiliated Fishworkers Solidarity, a member organization of SENTRO, remembered the commercial tuna fishing vessel workers who died or who were “lost” at sea and remain unaccounted for.

Among those remembered on April 28, were workers on tuna fishing vessels who died at sea but whose death was not considered a workplace death. This includes Perfect Aldo who died onboard on January 10, 2020, Arnel Abada who died at sea from pneumonia on June 12, 2021, and Noneto Romero who died onboard from cardiac arrest on November 5, 2022.

Perfect Aldo died onboard the tuna fishing vessel on January 10, 2020

Tuna fishworker, Arnel Abada, died at sea from pneumonia on June 12, 2021

Also remembered are those that the commercial tuna industry and authorities simply declare as “missing” at sea. This includes Gerir Rulete, missing since September 3, 2014. After a decade his family still cannot find peace and his death has not been recognized as work-related.

Tuna fishworker Gerir Rulete, “missing” since September 3, 2014

Warren Poncardas has been “missing” since August 21, 2003.  After 21 years his family too cannot find peace. This is another death while working that is not officially work-related.

The families of Roger Maglasang, Carlos Dejillo, Marvin Villaroya, Ricky Longgarit, and Roy Maglasang were all told that their husbands, fathers, brothers were missing at sea on August 24, 2003. Twenty-one years later, they remain unable to bury their loved ones; unable to declare them dead. As a result, their families are denied the certainty – the truth – that they died while working at sea. They are also denied the insurance they are entitled to for the work-related deaths of their loved ones.

Along with Gerir Rulete and Warren Poncardas, Roger Maglasang, Carlos Dejillo, Marvin Villaroya, Ricky Longgarit, and Roy Maglasangare are among the Unknown Workers killed and forgotten by an irresponsible and reckless commercial tuna industry.

On April 28, Fishworkers Solidarity called for urgent action by the government, employers and the commercial fishing industry to take responsibility for the health and safety of fishworkers throughout the tuna industry and to save lives.

The full text of the statement is below:

Fishworkers’ Solidarity Stands United on International Workers’ Memorial Day: Remember the Dead, Fight for the Living

International Workers’ Memorial Day, 28 April 2024 

Fishworkers’ Solidarity reaffirms its commitment to honoring the memories of those who have lost their lives in the pursuit of their livelihoods, while steadfastly advocating for the safety and well-being of all workers in the fishing industry.

This solemn day serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by countless individuals who have tragically lost their lives due to occupational hazards and unsafe working conditions. From treacherous waters to inadequate safety measures, fishworkers often face perilous situations in their daily endeavors to provide sustenance for communities worldwide.

Today we remember the countless number of fishworkers who were lost out in the sea and remain “missing”. This year alone, we have identified at least 8 fishworkers who are considered “missing”, and that’s just for General Santos and the Saranggani Bay area alone. One wonders, do our government even keep track of these things?

We stand in solidarity with those who continue to endure hazardous working environments and demand accountability from stakeholders responsible for ensuring workplace safety. With the guiding principle of “Remember the Dead, Fight for the Living,” Fishworkers’ Solidarity underscores the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to prioritize the safety and rights of fishworkers everywhere.

This International Workers’ Memorial Day, Fishworkers’ Solidarity calls upon governments, employers, and industry leaders to:

Fully realize the our aspiration for “responsible fisheries and sustainable development” by enhancing the full participation of fishworkers in the whole decision-making process related to fishery resources.

Stop all proposals to amend the Fisheries Code and instead focus all government resources, including that of the non-government sector, on the a whole-of-government, full and effective implementation of the present provisions of the amended Fisheries Code to address illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing including the full implementation of the vessel monitoring system, with data provided to local governments and enforcement agencies.

Enhance safety regulations and enforce stringent measures to prevent accidents and fatalities in the fishing industry.

Provide adequate training, resources, and protective gear to empower fishworkers to carry out their duties safely.

Foster collaborative initiatives between stakeholders to address systemic issues and promote a culture of safety and respect within the industry.

Recognize the invaluable contributions of fishworkers to global food security and uphold their fundamental rights to fair wages, decent working conditions, and social protection.

Together, let us honor the memory of those we have lost by advocating for meaningful change and ensuring that no worker faces unnecessary risks in the pursuit of their livelihood.

Fishworkers’ Solidarity remains unwavering in our commitment to safeguarding the lives and dignity of all fishworkers, today and always.

Through collective action and advocacy efforts, we strive to address the challenges facing fishworkers and promote sustainable practices in the fishing industry. Join us in our mission to create a safer and more equitable future for all fishworkers.

Global: Fighting for climate justice for food, farm and hotel workers in the face of climate change – IUF

The climate crisis puts the lives and livelihoods of millions of food, farm and hospitality workers at severe risk, the global food and farming union federation IUF says. As the planet warms, farming practices, food and beverage processing, trade and tourism must change and adapt. The IUF and its affiliates demand to be part of the solution, to negotiate with employers, governments and international institutions.  Rights, decent jobs and sustainable communities are at the core of the IUF response.

IUF says the working people of the world are most affected by climate instability, including those working in agriculture, food and beverage processing and tourism.

It is calling on UN institutions and International Finance Institutions (IFIs), national, state and local governments, “to work with trade unions to implement a Just Transition to a green and sustainable economy which prioritizes climate stability, biodiversity, social protection, respect for human rights and equality as a means to ensuring decent work, climate justice and the protection of democratic rights.”

IUF “pledges to put just transition and climate justice at the core of IUF work on the climate crisis,” it says.

https://www.iuf.org/what-we-do/policy-perspectives/climate-crisis/

April 28: Remembering the unknown workers [IUF Asia/Pacific]

IUF Asia/Pacific remembers and speaks powerfully for those workers who die in silence – whose deaths go unreported and unrecognised. Workers who die without justice for themselves or their families:

“For every worker who dies of a long term illness caused by or exacerbated by work – sometimes years after retirement – her or his death is not recorded as work-related. An unknown death of an unknown worker, unrecorded. Every worker who dies in an unreported industrial “accident” is another unknown death. For every worker not considered a worker by legal definition and excluded in employment statistics, she or he dies in silence.

“In our continued call to stop the killing on International Workers’ Memorial Day, April 28, we must also remember the workers whose injuries and deaths are not recognized or recorded as they fall through the gaps.”

Read the full article

Global: Call to strengthen global tools to limit trade in toxic chemicals – IUF #iwmd23

On April 28, International Workers Memorial Day, we mourn those killed at work and pledge to fight hard for the living by winning safer workplaces.

In 2022, the ILO’s International Labour Conference agreed to include the right to a safe and healthy workplaces as a fundamental right at work alongside the right to collective bargaining and freedom of association, equality, no forced labour and no child labour.

Exposure to pesticides regularly kills or destroys the health of thousands of agricultural workers. A shocking report in 2021 estimated that there are 385 million cases of unintentional, acute pesticide poisonings annually including 11,000 fatalities among farmers and farmworkers.

This year, the IUF is joining with global unions and national federations to demand more effective control of the international trade in hazardous chemicals. There are more than 350,000 chemicals circulating in the global economy, supposedly controlled by the Rotterdam Convention; however, the labour movement has been highly critical of the Convention for its weak procedure resulting in the failure to control paraquat and asbestos. Also concerning is the influence of the pesticides industry over the application of the Convention.

Currently, the Convention’s Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure for hazardous chemicals and pesticides ensures that countries exporting pesticides must seek the prior informed consent of the importing countries before shipping; however, to list products using the PIC procedure requires consensus. This requirement, initially introduced to foster cooperation, has instead evolved into a veto mechanism that is now threatening the viability and effectiveness of the Convention.  A small group of countries continue to block the listing of several highly hazardous substances.

In May 2023, the 11th Conference of Parties for the Rotterdam Convention will be meeting in Geneva, and the IUF along with sister global unions will be campaigning for the adoption of a new annex to the Convention which will allow parties who want to share information about a substance considered dangerous by the Chemical Review Committee to do so, even when the listing of the substance has been blocked by a failure to reach consensus. Listing on the new annex will require a 75% majority vote. Furthermore, for chemicals listed in the new Annex VIII, explicit prior informed consent will be required from the importing country before the hazardous substances can be shipped.

In addition to union support, the amendment is strongly supported by many countries and numerous experts including three UN Special Rapporteurs: Marcos Orellana, Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights; David R. Boyd, Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment; and Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation.

They have issued a joint statement which recognizes the importance of the Rotterdam Convention as a “tool to advance the right to information and effectively prevent exposure of people, soil, and water resources to toxics” but criticizes the procedure which allows a handful of countries to “persistently block the listing of hazardous chemicals.”

Click HERE to read the IUF’s press release.

“The breakdown of the science-policy interface mechanism in the Rotterdam Convention undermines the realization of the human right to science and the effectiveness of the instrument. Governments have a duty to align their policies with the best” available scientific evidence.
UN Special Rapporteurs statement

Bangladesh: IUF observes minute’s silence on 28 April – #iwmd23

IUF Food & Beverage Workers Council in Bangladesh observed minute silence to recall tragic death of workers due to unsafe working conditions and resolved to fight for safe workplaces. Remember the dead and flight for the living. Stop the Killing.

IUF Asia-Pacific 

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