Daily death toll: 5,000 workers

GLOBAL: The International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers has been observed worldwide by the trade union movement and Global Unions since 1996. As well as commemorating workers who have died, been injured or fallen ill in the workplace, this day serves to mark the campaign by trade unions to improve health and safety at work. Figures speak for themselves:

• Every day, 5,000 workers die from work-related diseases and accidents.
• Every year, 12,000 children are killed on the job.
• Asbestos alone claims some 300 lives daily.
• Workers suffer 270 million occupational accidents annually, of which 355,000 are fatal.

" 'Fatal' would imply this has something to do with fate, in other words something that is bound to happen. This is not the case," says Toni Ferigo, responsible for health and safety work at the IMF. "There are clear causes," he states, "of this dramatic 'silent war', such as working extended hours, lack of investment in health and safety, lack of training, deregulation and the negligence of employers to respect basic legislation." The IMF thinks the best way to commemorate the dead and injured workers is to put pressure for:

• bringing justice to the dead and injured by punishing the criminals who are responsible,
• increasing workers' participation in prevention policies,
• seeking legislation which meets at least basic ILO standards,
• increasing H&S investment in the workplace.

The IMF invites its affiliates around the world to participate in initiatives organised by national union centres. This is the best to commemorate the dead and the injured. The ILO, on April 28, is organising a tripartite panel in Geneva to discuss how to reduce injury, sickness and death at the workplace.