22 April, 2014Every 28 April is designated by the labour movement as the International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that some 2.3 million workers die as the result of their work every year. Of these, about 80 percent die as the result of occupational diseases. Only about 20 percent of worker deaths are the result of the sudden violent accidents - burned, cut, or crushed - that dominate our conversations when health and safety is discussed. Worse, it is only when a significant number of deaths occur at once, say from a mine explosion or a building collapse, that the mainstream media pay any attention.
Over two million deaths each year is a shocking total. Yet IndustriALL believes that these numbers are nevertheless gross underestimates. Fatality statistics are based on what national governments report, which in turn are usually based on accepted workers' compensation cases. Large numbers of workers are not covered by workers compensation systems and their deaths are therefore not counted. Deaths due to occupational disease, despite the ILO's estimate, are systemically under-diagnosed and under-recognized.
Of course, not all accidents and diseases are fatal. Our sick and injured colleagues are important to us, and we work every day to help them and to prevent others from suffering. Unfortunately the statistics quoted for these non-fatal categories are almost meaningless because of programmes that discourage reporting.
IndustriALL views occupational health and safety as an issue of worker's rights. Workers must have the right to know - fully - about the hazards of their work and how to do their jobs safely. Workers must have the right to refuse to perform, or to shut down, unsafe work. Workers must have the right to fully participate in decision-making related to workplace health and safety: the only people with the moral authority to assess a risk, are those who must eventually accept it. In addition, we demand that governments accept their responsibility to protect people at work, with strong, enforceable, and enforced systems of legislation and regulatory standards.
Jyrki Raina, IndustriALL General Secretary, says: "Workers have rights, employers and governments have responsibilities. It really is that simple".
Since workers rights are almost never delivered without a strong trade union, IndustriALL knows that unions make work safer. This is as true in developed countries, as it is in countries such as Bangladesh and Cambodia.
28 April is a day to pause and remember our fellow workers who died or have suffered, trying to make a living. Make it our day to renew our fight for safe and healthy working conditions.