“If we have elected governments committed to enforcing the law, we can do better…” Many speakers echoed the words of Canadian Labour Congress president, Hassan Yussuff, at today’s Ottawa Day of Mourning (see video below). In 49 other Day of Mourning ceremonies across the province, injured workers, their families and community also gathered to recognize those killed and injured through on-the-job accidents or work-related disease – and renew the fight for improved occupational health and safety measures and training.
While the published statistics of fatalities are unacceptably high, a Day of Mourning message from the Workers’ Health & Safety Centre questions their reliability: “How is it that accepted lost-time injuries have been dramatically reduced in the last 10 years, but worker deaths and critical injuries have remained persistently high?”. And the Ontario Federation of Labour, with their just-released comparison of WSIB fatality statistics covering the period 2004-2012 before and after reporting practices changed, “demands to know why the WSIB is covering up 1,150 deaths?”
Links to selected media coverage of today’s ceremonies:
- “Day of mourning recognizes 7 work-related deaths in Windsor” / (CBC News Windsor)
- “Ceremonies held in C-K: Day of Mourning recognizes fallen workers” / Trevor Terfloth (Chatham Daily News)
- “It isn’t enough to mourn for the dead” / Chris Halliday (Orangeville Banner)
- “National Day of Mourning vigils solemn reminders of workplace tragedies: ‘Another year of loss, another year of pain and life-changing wounds’ ” / Paul Forsyth (Niagara This Week)
- “Union reps call for action on Day of Mourning” / Sarah Petz (Sault Star)
- “Workplace deaths remembered at National Day of Mourning ceremony in High Park: Politicians, unions, workers gathered near construction site where two bricklayers were killed in March ” / Lisa Rainford (InsideToronto.com)
- “Day of Mourning ceremony honours workers” / Julie Jocsak (St Catharines Standard)
- “International Day of Mourning: number of workplace deaths on the rise in Canada” / Ella Bedard (Rabble.ca)