International Workers’ Memorial Day is about mourning the dead and fighting for the living, says EPMU

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union says the marking of International Workers’ Memorial Day today (April 28) recognises the on-going struggle to achieve the highest standards of workplace health and safety to significantly reduce the high social and economic costs of injuries and fatalities.

“It’s unacceptable in this day and age that so many workers still face huge danger and risks of harm when they are at work,” says Bill Newson, EPMU national secretary. “The families of every worker deserve to know that when they go off to their job they are going to return home safe after their shift.”

Mr Newson says the Pike River tragedy, in which 29 workers lost their lives when the mine exploded in November 2010, is the most salient recent example of what can go horribly wrong when light handed health and safety regulation is coupled with poor management. “Pike River must be a reminder for every New Zealander that we can never take health and safety for granted and that we must always be fighting for a strong worker voice and participation, high standards of management, laws and regulations that reflect international best practice in health and safety.”

International Worker's Memorial Day began in 1984 when the Canadian Union of Public Employees held a memorial event for workers killed at work. Since then it has been adopted as an annual commemoration event by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), unions and many governments around the world. This year the ILO has made health and safety in the emerging green economy as its key focus for International Workers Memorial Day.

“Our union is committed to working alongside the government and employers to ensure we are making an effective contribution to achieving safe jobs and safe workplaces, to the international best practice standards,” says Mr Newson. “A good practical example of this is our significant involvement with the Christchurch Rebuild Health & Safety initiative (‘Safe Rebuild Canterbury’) – a project that sees the EPMU, principal construction companies, the Canterbury Employers Chambers of Commerce, Site Safe and the Department of Labour working in partnership to achieve a common goal of health and safety excellence.”

The EPMU is supporting various union events around the country today including a Unions Canterbury commemoration gathering, with guest speakers, at 11.30am at the Memorial Stone, Science Alive Reserve, Christchurch and a Unions Manawatu commemorative event at the Workers’ Memorial, Memorial Park, Palmerston North, starting at 1pm.

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