APRIL 28, 2025: ICM HONORS THE FALLEN AND DEFENDS THE ACTIVE WORKERS
As part of the International Day of Remembrance of Victims of Accidents and Occupational Diseases, the International Construction and Wood Workers (ICM) BWI Global Union raises its voice again this April 28, 2025. Through a powerful global campaign, he denounces the dangerous and often invisible conditions that those who build the world with their hands face: exposure to toxic dust, extreme heat and unsafe workspaces.
The ICM BWI Global Union warns that the physical and mental impacts of these conditions are not only immediate, but can also manifest years later, leaving consequences even when working life is over.
PERU: TRIPARTY AGREEMENT FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK
“… The agreement is a demonstration that honoring fallen workers means protecting those who continue to work today.. ” , affirmed Jhon Irene Gonzales Cruz, Secretary of Work Safety and Health of the Federación de Trabajadores en Construcción Civil del Perú (FTCCP).
BRAZIL: GREEN APRIL AND THE URGENCY TO ACT
On their part, in Brazil, the syndicate Sindicato Dos Químicos do ABC promotes the campaign “GREEN APRIL”, a call to awareness and action in one of the highest risk sectors: the chemical industry associated with building materials.
According to data from International Labour Organization OIT, Brazil is the fourth country in the world with the most workplace accidents, registering more than 732,000 cases in 2023. In the face of this alarming figure, the union demands: rigorous inspection; effective compliance with the laws; and, dignified and safe working conditions.
Sindicato Dos Químicos do ABC Safety and Health Secretary, Paulo Sergio da Silva Lima, sums it up like this: “… “We cannot accept that thousands of workers continue to suffer accidents that could be prevented with basic measures such as adequate training, proper use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and improvements in the work environment.”
“… Honoring the fallen means protecting those who still fight every day to earn a living in harsh and often dangerous conditions. Safety should be non-negotiable, and health should be a right, not a privilege.. ”, affirmed from Geneva, Ambet Yuson Bwi Ambet Yuso, Secretary General of the ICM BWI Global Union .
The 1st National Meeting of Safety and Health Secretariats at Work of the FTCCP took place from April 22 to 24, and was attended by national leaders from the 25 regions of the country.
The aim of the meeting is to train national leaders as SST promoters, who will get tools to implement action plans in their respective provinces.
FTCCP will hold a 28 April IWMD conference that will discuss electrical hazards in the building sector, and the effect of climate change on occupational safety.
FTCCP also held a training session from 22 to 24 April. This was the the First National Gathering of OSH union secretaries and was attended by national leaders from all 25 regions of the country.
The objective of the meeting was to train national leaders – as promoters of occupational safety and health – and to obtain the tools to implement action plans in their respective provinces.
CATP says: “April 28 marks the International Day for Safety and Health at Work, therefore our commitment to training and monitoring compliance in favor of workers in the country.”
Peru: SUTFACAP joins the meetings of April 28, 2022 at the Plantation of Faber-Castell Peru. The union is calling for occupational health and safety to be recognised as an ILO fundamental right at work.
BWI and its affiliate, the Union Trade Union of Workers of A.W. Faber Castell in Peru (SUTFACAP) inked a Joint Declaration on Safe and Healthy Workplaces with the management of the multinational company, Faber-Castell.
Signatories to the declaration were SUTFACAP General Secretary Celso Arce, BWI Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean Nilton Freitas and Faber-Castell Peru General Manager Fernando Cabrera. The declaration expresses the commitment of the workers and company to work together to promote healthier and safer workplaces.
A similar declaration was signed last year by trade unionists and the Faber-Castell management in Brazil.
“BWI and its affiliated unions in Latin America, the Caribbean and worldwide are committed to ensure the prioritisation of life over profit as bannered by our global campaign: Global Alliance on Safe and Healthy Workplaces.
This OHS Declaration with Faber-Castell in Peru showcases the importance of field-based trade union action to realise OHS as a fundamental right of workers, and comply with the UN’s 2030 agenda,” Freitas said. #IWMD2022
We invite you to participate in the Zoom Webinar: ′′ Psychosocial Risks and Gender Violence at Work during COVID-19 ′′
Date: April 28, 2021
Time: 06:00 pm (Lima – Peru)
To participate in the Zoom platform, you must register at the following link: https://bit.ly/SST28abril
After enrolment, you will receive a confirmation email with information to join the webinar. We appreciate your gentle participation and dissemination of this call.
