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Regulation, Enforcement and Strong Unions: key for safe workplaces

28/04/2016

TUAC release 28th April 2016


On 28 April 2016, trade unions, workers and their communities around the globe mobilise to commemorate workers who have lost their lives or health at work, and to fight for better occupational safety and health.


Every 15 seconds, a worker dies from a work-related accident or disease.  Every 15 seconds, 153 workers have a work-related accident. Every day, 6,300 people die as a result of occupational accidents or work-related diseases – more than 2.3 million deaths per year. 317 million accidents occur on the job annually.


“On top of already unsafe and precarious working conditions faced by workers around the world, some of the business models associated with the expansion of global supply chains, are leading to less protection and more insecurity for workers,” said John Evans, General Secretary of TUAC.


“This year’s commemoration focusses on the need for stronger laws, stronger enforcement and stronger unions as key conditions  for securing safe work for all; these must all be reflected in the global policy agenda”, said Evans.


“It is also key to ensure occupational safety and health is not treated as a technical, experts-only issue, but is put at the heart of global discussions on job quality; the OECD’s framework for Job Quality needs to be put at the centre of government policy.”


Trade unions in more than 70 countries are marking the International Commemoration Day. The ITUC/Hazards global events map is compiling 28 April updates from all over the world.