Today, unions across the country gathered to remember people who were killed or injured at work.

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions held a memorial service at the Workers’ Memorial stone on the Wellington waterfront.

NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff said New Zealand unions were proud to stand with their international counterparts to commemorate this event.

"In New Zealand, a person is killed on the job every single week. As a country, we have a long way to go to make our workplaces safe. It's crucial that we continue to remember everyone who has been injured or killed at work.”

Wagstaff was joined by speakers from WorkSafe Deputy Chief Executive Mike Hargreaves, and New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union Secretary Wattie Watson.

The event also saw the launch of Not One More, an NZCTU campaign to introduce corporate manslaughter legislation in New Zealand.

“More needs to be done to ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees are killed at work. We need a legal framework to make this possible,” said Wagstaff.

To find out more about Not One More, visit: https://www.together.org.nz/not_one_more_open_letter

Stats: Last year, 64 people were killed at work. An estimated 750-900 people were also killed by occupational exposure to toxic substances like asbestos.

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