{"id":379,"date":"2015-04-21T13:51:55","date_gmt":"2015-04-21T13:51:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/28april.org\/?p=379"},"modified":"2015-04-21T13:51:55","modified_gmt":"2015-04-21T13:51:55","slug":"europe-international-workers-memorial-day-28-april-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/28april.org\/?p=379","title":{"rendered":"Europe: International Workers’ Memorial Day – 28 April 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

On this day, European trade unionists commemorate the 100,000 colleagues<\/strong> and friends, fathers, mothers, daughters and sons \u00a0killed every year in the EU by cancers \u2013 caused at work \u2013 which are entirely preventable<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) condemns<\/strong>\u00a0 the European Commission for delaying <\/strong>since October 2013 the adoption of legally binding exposure limits for chemicals that cause cancer<\/strong>, or are toxic for male and female fertility and the unborn child, because<\/strong> it is conducting a review of \u2018red tape\u2019<\/strong>. It means that 150,000 have died while EC evaluates \u2018better regulation\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ETUC does not believe<\/strong> that the European Commission so lacks humanity that measures to protect people from cancer, <\/strong>people from fertility difficulties, or babies in the womb from toxic chemicals, could be considered a cost to business which needs to be reduced to improve competitiveness<\/strong>; that human life could be just another line in the balance sheet alongside the cost of raw materials, transport and energy.<\/p>\n

The ETUC demands legally enforceable exposure limits<\/strong>\u00a0for a priority list of 50 of the most harmful chemicals<\/a> as a first step.<\/p>\n

We call on the European Commission to unblock the revision of the Directive on Carcinogens or Mutagens at work<\/strong> and include substances that are toxic for reproduction.<\/p>\n

To mark this memorial Day, on April the 28th \u00a0ETUC General Secretary Bernadette S\u00e9gol will be in the European Parliament in Strasbourg<\/strong> to bring International Workers\u2019 Memorial Day to the attention of MEPs, and has meetings scheduled with Parliament President Martin Schulz and European Employment Commissioner Marianne Thyssen<\/strong>. ETUC Deputy General Secretary J\u00f3zef Niemiec<\/strong> will speak at a Latvian Presidency conference in Riga on health and safety. The ETUC and Belgian trade unions also plan a commemoration outside the European Commission\u2019s Berlaymont HQ in Brussels.<\/strong><\/p>\n

ETUC 28 April webpages<\/a><\/p>\n

The artwork below\u00a0will be used at these events.<\/p>\n

\"etuc1\"<\/a> \"etuc2\"<\/a> \"etuc3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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