April 28th marks the National Day of Mourning with events taking place across the country to remember and mourn those who have been killed or injured on the job. Last year alone, 25 Manitoba workers died on the job or from occupational disease.
To honour their lives, hundreds took part in the largest Day of Mourning event in the province – the noon-hour Winnipeg memorial walk, organized by SAFE Workers of Tomorrow.
Workers, representatives from labour, government and students joined the Leaders Walk from the Union Centre at Broadway and Smith to the Legislature, where a ceremony was held. Manitobans also took part in walks in Dauphin and Selkirk earlier today, while ceremonies in Brandon and Thompson are scheduled for this evening.
“They may be gone, but they are not forgotten,” says MGEU President, Michelle Gawronsky. “We must remember those who passed away tragically while on the job. At the same time, we have to learn from these tragic events in order to prevent fatalities and accidents in the future.”
Young people continue to be at highest risk from health and safety hazards in the workplace. Safe Workers of Tomorrow offers prevention workshops, which provide education to safety and health committee members, workers and supervisors throughout Manitoba.
About the Day of Mourning
The Day of Mourning was first observed in 1984 by the Canadian Labour Congress. It is a day set aside to remember and mourn for workers who have been killed or injured in our workplaces.
On December 28, 1990, the Parliament of Canada passed a private members Bill, sponsored by Churchill NDP MP Rod Murphy, officially declaring that day a national Day of Mourning. It was first held under that status on April 28, 1991.
Since then, the Day of Mourning has spread to
more than 80 countries around the world and has been officially adopted by the
AFL-CIO and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.