(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters, April 9, 2013)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Teamsters Union, and trade unionists around the world, recognize April 28 as Workers’ Memorial Day — an international day of remembrance and action for workers killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work.
Workers’ Memorial Day is an opportunity to highlight the preventable nature of most workplace accidents and ill health and to promote the fight for improvements in workplace safety. The slogan for the day is “Remember the Dead – Fight for the Living.”
To help mark this important day, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) is providing the following resources to help with the planning of activities at local unions and workplaces.
Background
Every year, about 4,500 people are killed at work and 50,000 workers die from occupational diseases while millions more are injured. Decades of struggle by workers and their unions have resulted in significant improvements in working conditions. But the toll of workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths remains enormous.
Since 1989, the US labor movement has observed Workers’ Memorial Day to remember those who have suffered and died on the job. April 28 was chosen because it is the anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Workers’ Memorial Day has been officially endorsed by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the International Labor Organization (ILO), and is now observed in nearly 100 countries.