The annual National Day of Mourning is once again upon us to remember workers who have been hurt, made ill, or killed while on the job due to workplace hazards or incidents.
It's observed in Canada every year on April 28.
Past President of the Chatham-Kent Labour Council and board member Linda Reaume said a ceremony will be held in Chatham at the Labour Gardens on Grand Avenue at 6 p.m.
She said one worker killed on the job is one too many and warns employees if they think that it will never happen to them, they're wrong. Reaume said employers are just doing the basics under the law when it comes to worker safety and they need to do more and provide more education to workers about their rights in the workplace.
Reaume said Justin Martin died at work in Chatham last summer when he fell off scaffolding and he will be one of the fallen workers remembered at the local ceremony.
"Workers do have the right to know about the hazards in their workplace and to get the proper training so they can do their jobs safely. And they should have a right to participate in decisions that are made that affect their own health and safety," said Reaume. "Workers suffer the indignity of having to do jobs that are unsafe and have a total disregard for health and safety regulations. So, this our day to honour those workers that don't come home at the end of the day."
Reaume said employees should not be afraid to refuse work if their health and well-being are being jeopardized.
"Whether you're unionized or not, you do have the right to refuse unsafe work. Unfortunately, a lot of workers are afraid to do that and that's when some of these deaths and injuries come into play," Reaume added.
The Day of Mourning observance began in 1984 and it was officially declared an annual day of remembrance the following year by the Canadian Labour Congress. In 1991, the day became a national observance, when the Workers’ Mourning Day Act was passed.
