.Every year more people are killed at work than in wars. Most don't die of mystery ailments, or in "tragic accidents", They die because an employer decided their safety just wasn't important. An international day of rememberance and action for workers killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work is marked today. First declared by the AFL-CIO in 1970, commemorates those workers.Everyone deserves to come home at the end of the work day. It is officially recognised by the UK government and is supported in 19 countries worldwide.Workers Memorial Day reminds us of those who didn't, and encourages us to take steps to make sure there's less of them in the future, while raising awareness to help ensure these tragedies are not repeated.The day provides a focus for us all to remember those who have been killed at work, to provide support and comfort to their families and to commit to striving for healthier , safer and fair work for all helping to ensure workers are not denied the basic human right of returning home to loved ones after their day's work is done.
April 28th is also the same date that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was established in 1971. OSHA states that the day "is a day to to honor those workers who have died on the job to acknowledge the grevious suffering expeienced by families and communities, and to recommit ourselves to the fight for safe and healthy workplaces for all workers. Every death is a death to many, today also serves as a focus for people to come together in solidarity."
Safety is a huge issue for working people right now, especially for all the essential workers who are working harder than ever to provide us with critical goods and services during this pandemic. Every day we’re hearing reports about workers like nurses, firefighters, grocery clerks, and food processors who are contracting COVID-19 at work. And too may are dying deaths that could’ve been prevented if they had been provided the proper Personal Protective Equipment.
Never has Workers Memorial Day carried greater poignancy than in 2020 as key workers are on the front line keeping the whole of society going while a coronavirus pandemic is raging. Every day recently we are told about selfless NHS staff who have died, and the media is full of reports about PPE. The current pandemic has changed many people’s outlook. Day in and day out, worried NHS and care workers are going into work in a state of fear and anxiety as they find that PPE is either not there or running low. Health workers are going to work to treat and care for sick patients, with the knowledge that they or colleagues could get sick and die simply by doing their job.
The health workers who have died should be praised for their bravery and remembered as heroes. However, their deaths were not all inevitable. In many cases, the lack of appropriate PPE has been repeatedly raised by health workers – again, around the world. Key workers must now receive the proper pay and terms and conditions that they need and deserve and that have been withheld from them for so long. It’s also important to recognise the dedicated workers at home and across the world who are right now standing between the most vulnerable in our community to shield and protect them from the worst of this appalling virus.
Earlier today people around the world marked this day with a minute’s silence at 11am this morning in their homes as a mark of respect.People are also being encouraged to light a candle tonight to remember those who have fallen – and to show our support to the essential workers and the efforts being made to keep them safe at work during this unprecedented and challenging time. On Workers’ Memorial Day let’s honour the dead and wholeheartedly commit ourselves to fight like hell for the living.
