Today, 28th of April, is Worker\u2019s Memorial Day. \u201cWe must all take responsibility for better health and safety at work in New Zealand. 100 working people were killed in workplaces in the last year,\u201d said Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff. \u201cIt is a sombre reflection that today we also open up many workplaces under COVID-19 level 3, and the health and safety of working people is on everyone\u2019s mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201d At midday today<\/a>, union members across New Zealand and the world, will be taking a minute to light a candle and remember the 100 people killed in workplaces, 100 lives too many.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe also turn our minds to the international theme of Worker\u2019s Memorial Day, which is \u2018Stop the Pandemic at Work\u2019, timely for the re-opening of many worksites under the cloud of COVID -19. We know that internationally there have been thousands of working people exposed. Hundreds of those working in healthcare around the world have died at work trying to save others.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn New Zealand, we are proud that our \u2018go hard go early\u2019 lockdown has prevented any workplace exposure deaths from COVID-19. We should be taking the same attitude to all health and safety risks at work. \u201c<\/p>\n \u201cThe Council of Trade Unions will today be surveying<\/a> those who went back to the work site today about whether the \u201910 checks for a safe return to work\u2019<\/a> have been followed. Alert Level 3 is no return to \u2018business as usual\u2019 for health and safety. Let the Level 3 re-opening be the reset button we need to treat every workplace risk with the same level of caution we will for COVID-19 \u2013 there is no reason any Kiwi should be killed at work,\u201d Wagstaff said.<\/p>\n