Memorial Day gets official recognition

The UK is to officially recognise Workers’ Memorial Day, and this recognition will take formal effect this year on 28 April, the international day of action for safety and health at work, work and pensions secretary Yvette Cooper has announced.

The day is already widely commemorated in the UK and official recognition will reinforce its significance and raise awareness of the workers who are killed, disabled, injured or made ill each year by their work.

Commemorations will continue to be led by individuals, trade unions and safety campaigners.

Workers’ Memorial Day, which originated in Canada in 1984, is now recognised as a national day in 19 countries.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber, welcoming the news, said: “This special day commemorates the many thousands of people who have died as a result of their work and we’re pleased the government has taken the step of recognising it.

“Workers’ Memorial Day has been an important date in the trade union calendar for many years and we look forward to working with ministers to increase its profile.

“Workers’ Memorial Day is when workers around the world remember the dead and campaign for improved workplace safety to protect the living. To mark the day this year, the TUC is calling for a minute’s silence in workplaces up and down the country at noon on Wednesday, 28 April.”

http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=410673&SubjectId=2

www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-17502-f0.cfm