Canadians were invited on Tuesday to remember those who have been seriously hurt or killed at work.
The New Brunswick Federation of Labour (NBFL) highlighted the National Day of Mourning via a Facebook live event.
President Daniel Legere highlighted the National Day of Mourning via Facebook live.
“Though we can’t gather in person this year, the enduring message of the Day of Mourning, to mourn the dead and fight for the living, is ever more important,” said Daniel Legere, president of the federation.
Legere says ensuring workplaces are safe is especially important in this pandemic, when a number of employees are putting their lives at risk.
He says many front line workers are risking their lives during the pandemic and it’s important they know their rights.
“The global COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live and work,” says Legere. “While everyone is affected by this crisis, frontline workers like grocery store and pharmacy staff, truck drivers, garbage collectors, janitors, nursing home workers, first responders, health care professionals and other front line staff are putting their lives at risk so the rest of us can safely stay at home. This year’s Day of Mourning ceremony will be highlighting workers’ rights to protect themselves.”
The NBFL is calling on governments and employers to provide workers with the protective equipment that they need and adequate training on how to use it safely. Workers have a right to participate in the decisions that could affect their health and safety at work and have a right to refuse unsafe work.
Legere says more than 1,000 Canadians lost their lives at work last year. He said more than 8,700 New Brunswickers were injured at work and a total of 17 died as a result of those injuries.
April 28th was first established in Canada as the National Day of Mourning for workers killed, injured or disabled on the job at the urging of the Canadian Labour Congress. It was recognized as such by the Government of Canada in 1991 and in New Brunswick in 2000. It is now commemorated in more than 100 countries.
