USA: AFL-CIO 2016 Death on the Job report Released

A announcement from Peg Seminario, ,Safety and Health Director, AFL-CIO:

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Colleagues:

The AFL-CIO released our annual Death on the Job Report today. This is the 25th year we have produced the report. (The first report was in 1992).

The report is available on the AFL-CIO website, along with infographics of highlights from the report. http://www.aflcio.org/Issues/Job-Safety/Death-on-the-Job-Report

The major highlights of the report are:

  • An increase in the number and rate of job fatalities in 2014.
  • The biggest increases were in fatalities among older workers. Workers 65 and older now have a fatality rate 3 times the national average.
  • The number and rate of job fatalities among Latino workers declined in 2014; the numbers and rates for all other races increased.
  • The states with the highest fatality rates were Wyoming, North Dakota, Alaska, South Dakota and Mississippi.
  • Workplace violence remains a serious and persistent problem. Over the years, while the job injury rate has declined; injuries/injury rate due to workplace violence has increased, particularly for workers in healthcare. Women workers suffer 66% of the lost time injuries due to workplace violence.
  • OSHA’s resources are declining and its  capacity to inspect workplaces is getting worse. For FY 2015, federal OSHA could inspect workplaces on average once every 145 years; in 1992 when the first DOTJ report was issued, OSHA could inspect workplaces once every 84 years.
  • OSHA penalties remain low- the median penalty for killing a worker was $7,000 for federal OSHA; $3,5000 for the state plans.
  • Only 89 worker death cases have been criminally prosecuted under the OSHAct since 1971.
  • Workers won a major victory in 2016- the final OSHA silica standard was issued which will prevent more than 600 deaths and prevent nearly 1,000 cases of silicosis a year.
  • There is still much work to do and major challenges ahead as employers and republicans are trying to roll back protections, including the new silica rule, block new protections and cut funding.
  • The nation needs to renew its commitment to protect workers from injury, disease and death and make protecting workers a higher priority.

Lots more in the report itself. So do take a look.

Tomorrow is Workers Memorial Day. There are nearly 100 events being held around the country to remember workers killed and injured on the job and to renew the fight for safe jobs. http://www.aflcio.org/Issues/Job-Safety/WorkersMemorialDay  Please do what you can to join and highlight these events and actions and raise your voices demanding safe jobs for all.

Thanks to all who are organizing events and producing reports to highlight the toll or injury, death and disease on workers and their families. Through our collective efforts we are making a difference and improving workers lives.

In Solidarity,

Peg Seminario

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Peg Seminario
Safety and Health Director
AFL-CIO
Tel. 202-637-5366
e-mail: pseminar@aflcio.org

Italy: UMdL supports International Workers’ Memorial Day

Updating Medicina del Lavoro (UMdL) has issued a statement in support of International Workers’ Memorial Day.

In Italy, notably, this day is an opportunity to remember, among the others, asbestos’ victims. Here is  information about the event MAI PIU’ AMIANTO (NO MORE ASBESTOS) in Rome promoted by trade unions Cgil, Cisl, and Uil on April 29th 2016.

More information here

Unions call on multinationals to comply with OHS laws in the Philippines

Kilusan Mayo UnoThe national labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) will host the International Solidarity Affair (ISA), gathering workers, trade-union activists, labor rights advocates, friends and supporters of the working class, which will comprise three key activities this year: the commemoration of Workers’ Memorial Day (April 28), with an emphasis on local victims such as workers death in the first anniversary of the Kentex factory fire. The second is an exposure program to take place in workers’ communities and picket lines. The third activity will be an international forum on Occupational Health and Safety.

More information on KMU events for 28th April please contact kmu.intl@gmail.com  • website

Unions run OHS awareness raising actions in Venezuela

For this 28th April, the Central de Trabajadores Alianza Sindical Independiente (ASI) will concentrate events in three Venezuelan states: Tachira, Mérida and Trujillo, where awareness raising events on occupational health and safety will be organised. A national press conference will be organised by the ASI.

More information on ASI events for 28th April please contact Maribel Suarez Mancha maribelsuarezmancha@gmail.com

Canada: Unions renew call for asbestos ban in Canada

HomeFor this 28th April, Canadian unions are renewing their call for a comprehensive ban on asbestos, announcing today they will highlight the issue at events across the country, in the context of the National Day of Mourning for workers killed, injured or made ill on the job.

“Asbestos is the leading cause of work-related death in Canada, and with imports on the rise, the danger is increasing,” CLC president Hassan Yussuff said at a news conference in Ottawa yesterday.

More than 2,000 Canadians die every year from diseases caused by asbestos exposure, like mesothelioma and lung cancer. Death from mesothelioma increased 60 percent between 2000 and 2012. Internationally, the World Health Organization reports more than 100,000 asbestos-related deaths per year.

More information on CLC activities for April 28th here: http://canadianlabour.ca/news/news-archive/canadian-unions-renew-call-comprehensive-ban-asbestos

USA: South Florida COSH and South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice event, Mexican Consulate

Event: Workers’ Memorial Day Report Release & Launching of Program to Protect Vulnerable Workers

Location: Mexican Consulate, 1399 SW 1st Avenue, Third Floor, Miami, FL 33130

FacebookEvent details on Facebook 

Event info: Join South Florida COSH and South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice at 1:30pm for the release of a report regarding Florida fatalities & the signing of coalition agreement to protect vulnerable workers. At the Consulate General of Mexico, 1399 SW 1st Avenue, third floor.

Further enquiriesPatrick Quiring 

USA: Boston commemoration ceremony on 28 April

Home

A message from Al Vega of MassCOSH

We are holding Workers Memorial Day commemoration ceremony on Thursday April 28th at 12pm in front of the Massachusetts State House here in Boston. We will be reading the names of 63 fallen workers in our state and releasing our Dying on the Job: The Loss of Life and Limb in MA Workplaces report that day as well. Please let us know if you need any additional info.

Thanks, Al Vega

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Argentina: La muerte por el trabajo es un crimen

EN ARGENTINA LA C.T.A. Capital EN LA CIUDAD DE BUENOS AIRES COMEMORARA EL 28 DE ABRIL EN UN ACTO JUNTO A LOS TRABAJADORES DE AGRICULTURA FAMILIAR
PROF. MARCELO Marcelo FiscinaSEC SALUD LABORAL

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Europe: 28 April – International Workers Memorial Day – New health and safety laws now!

3,515 people died in reported accidents at work in the EU in 2012 – the last time the EU collected the statistics. 100,000 die in the EU every year from work-related cancers.

The EU has done very little in recent years to strengthen the protection of workers from workplace diseases and injuries, despite the fact that new technology and innovation has created, and medical research has identified, new risks.

Workers need better protection,” said Esther Lynch, ETUC Confederal Secretary. “New laws are needed now.

The most efficient and effective way to protect workers from workplace disease and injury is through laws at EU and national level. Workers’ health protection should not be deregulated or privatised. Strong laws should be backed up by strong enforcement and a strong system of workplace health and safety representatives.”

The ETUC calls for new health and safety laws to be brought in urgently, to protect workers by

  • Implementing binding occupational exposure limits for at least 50 cancer-causing substances, instead of the current 5, in 2016 instead of delaying until 2020;
  • Putting forward new regulations to deal with
– nanoparticles;
– psycho-social risks including stress, violence and harassment;
– neck, back and elbow pain.
One Directive – on carcinogens and mutagens – has been under review by the EU for some 12 years without any change being made! Following trade union pressure the European Commission has promised progress this year on protecting workers from cancer. However, the European Commission is continuing to ignore demands from trade unions, the European Parliament and member states for legislation on nanomaterials*.

Concerns about the ‘compliance costs’ of regulation for business ignore the costs to workers and their families,” added Lynch, “and should not stop action to prevent workplace accidents and disease.

Evidence of the need for action, in addition to the horrific death toll, is clear:

  • Between 2010 and 2015 there has been a rise in the percentage of workers handling chemicals and infectious materials.**
  • Half of all workers consider work-related stress to be common in their workplace.***
  • More than 2 in 5 workers work in painful or tiring positions for a quarter or more of their working time.**
The ETUC is the voice of workers and represents 45 million members from 89 trade union organisations in 39 European countries, plus 10 European Trade Union Federations.
The ETUC is also on FacebookTwitterYouTube and Flickr.
Copyright © 2016 European Trade Union Confederation / Confédération européenne des syndicats, All rights reserved.

More information:

Press and Communications
Julian Scola
Phone +32 (0) 486117394
Daniele Melli
Phone +32 (0) 473942563
Stéphanie Wouters
+32 (0) 473532730
@: media@etuc.org

Tasmania: Put your shoes out on 28 April

April 28 is International Workers Memorial Day. A day of remembrance for workers killed, disabled, injured or made unwell through their work.

Show your solidarity. This Thursday take a photo of your shoes and post to social media with#putyourshoesout and #IWMD16

Remember the dead. Fight for the living.

Launceston Memorial Service: http://bit.ly/1QxHs0G
8am Workers’ Memorial, Elizabeth Gardens, near Aurora Stadium, April 28

Hobart Memorial Service: http://bit.ly/1SG7l2J
5 for 5.30pm St David’s Cathedral, April 28

HACSU Health & Community Services Union (TAS)
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation – ANMF Tas Branch
Australian Education Union AEU – Tasmanian Branch
Community and Public Sector Union (spsft) Tasmania
ASUVicTas
United Voice Tasmania
CFMEU Vic-Tas
CEPU Tasmania
IEU – Independent Education Union Victoria Tasmania
Maritime Union of Australia – Tasmanian Branch
The Tasmanian Grassroots Union Choir
Unions Tasmania Women’s Committee
Australian Unions

Remember the dead, fight like hell for the living