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CWU Welcomes Government Consultation On WMD Recognition

The CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department along with the TUC, other Trade Unions and Safety Campaigning Groups have welcomed the announcement that at long last the Government is to launch a consultation into whether 'Workers’ Memorial Day’ which takes place on 28th April each year should be given official recognition in future years. This is something we have campaigned for, for a long time and have written to the Prime Minister about virtually every year.

Dave Joyce National Health, Safety & Environment Officer writing in LTB391/09 to all CWU branches explained:

Workers’ Memorial Day is a mark of respect to those killed and injured at work and to the bereaved. It has become a major event on the trade union calendar to commemorate the thousands of people who have been killed, seriously injured or made ill through work.  It also provides an annual focal point for the importance of healthy and safe workplaces and is marked by an increasing number of commemorative events and memorial services involving the bereaved, trade unionists, safety reps, the TUC, safety campaign groups, Government bodies and Local Authorities among others which take place across the UK.

Official recognition of Workers Memorial Day would acknowledge the terrible toll that work has placed on many families whose loved ones have been killed at work or more slowly through a disease caused by their work. It will also act as a reminder of the need to ensure that action is taken to ensure that such deaths along with serious work injuries are prevented in the future.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, James Purnell sent a message of support on Workers Memorial Day earlier this week and stated that he wanted to look at how the UK could join the many other countries that officially recognise the day. The Secretary of State is now launching a formal consultation which will run until the autumn seeking the views of trade unions and other interested parties.  The Government have acknowledged that there is a huge amount of support for the Day and there are many ideas for consideration, including a lasting memorial to all those killed and harmed by work activity.

Following its inception in Canada in 1984, Workers Memorial Day is already recognised as a national day in many countries around the world including Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Luxembourg, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Taiwan and the USA.

The Day was brought to the UK in 1992 by the Hazards Campaign and has been supported by the CWU for since the Union's creation. In 2001, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recognised Workers Memorial Day and announced April 28 as an International Day of Action for Safety and Health at Work, which is an annual international campaign to promote safe, healthy and decent work around the globe.

Source: CWU LTB391/09



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