Focus on Youth For National Day of Mourning
Apr 27, 2010
28, april, boomer, injured, killed, mourning
Because young people are especially at risk from health and safety hazards in the workplace, the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) has chosen to put the spotlight on young workers in marking this year’s National Day of Mourning.
Since 1988, April 28 has been observed in Canada as an official day of mourning for workers killed and injured on the job. The day was officially recognized by Parliament in 1991 and observances have now spread to more than 80 countries around the world.
More than 1,000 workers a year are killed on the job in Canada, and the number tends to increase each year, unlike other countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) where the number has generally been declining in recent years. For 2008, the latest year for which statistics are available, the death toll was 1,036.
In 2008, 51 young workers between the ages of 15-24 were killed in fatal accidents in Canadian workplaces. In addition, 44,836 workers in this same age group had injuries serious enough to qualify for compensation.
NUPGE is calling for legislation that requires health and safety training for youth - so they are aware of their rights - before they enter the workforce. Simply knowing their rights can empower young workers to put safety first.
In Winnipeg, the SAFE Workers of Tomorrow Annual Leaders’ Walk and Media Event will recognize and honour those workers who have been killed, made ill, or been injured at work. This year’s theme is Walk to Remember – Unite for Safety.
Date: Wednesday, April 28th
Time: Meet at 11:45 a.m.
Place: Foyer – Main Floor, Union Centre, 275 Broadway, Winnipeg.
At approximately 11:55 a.m., people will depart from the Union Centre and walk down Broadway to the Legislative Building, at which time Safe Workers of Tomorrow will hold a media event on the main floor and grand staircase.
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Day of Mourning 2010 Yesterday I took my 29 year old son and we walked to The Legislature to honour workers killed on the job in Manitoba. We heard the Minister of Labour, Jennifer Howard, speak about the history of the Day of Mourning. We heard the Safe Workers of Tomorrow, where 50+ high school students made a presentation (holding pictures) and 6 of them spoke on behalf of 6 young people (17-27 yrs) that were killed on the job in Manitoba. Take a young person with you the next time you attend an important function. It will be a learning experience for you both ! http://www.workersoftomorrow.com/swot.html
D - 2010-04-29 22:51
Congratulations to SWOT for all their hard work in putting this event together. It really paid off. I was proud of the large labour turn out and how well the youth presented themselves. It was also good to see that the Premier and several MLAs thought it was important enough to take the time to be present. Let's all continue to work diligently towards making our workplaces as safe as possible. The list of workers that have been killed or injured is already too long.
Dan Franklin - 2010-05-04 18:00