April 28 - International Workers Memorial Day - African unions mobilise

Posted to the IUF website 28-Apr-2009

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Every day 5,500 workers die and 1 million are injured due to an accident or a disease from their work (source ILO)

On April 28, International Workers Memorial Day, trade unionists around the world will remember colleagues who have died due to workplace accidents and diseases. But the purpose of the day is not just to mourn but to organise to prevent workplace accidents and ill health and to improve health and safety at work. Union workplaces are safer workplaces.

Amongst the IUF sectors, agriculture remains the most dangerous with many thousands of workers killed and injured in the course of their work. Exposure to chemicals, use of dangerous machinery, exposure to extreme temperature and lack of potable water are all commom OHS problems for agricultural workers.

In Africa, IUF's affiliates who are taking part in the Global occupational heath and safety programme have committed to marking Workers Memorial Day by calling on their government to ratify ILO Convention 184 on safety and health in agriculture as a first step to implementing programmes to improve workers' health and safety.