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"The pandemic has exposed serious gaps in workplace safety and protection. This Day of Mourning launched almost 40 years ago because it was clear that workers were not being properly protected, this pandemic proves we have much more work to do." — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
Ottawa (28 April 2021) ― This year marks the second year in which Canadians will be commemorating the National Day of Mourning under the pall of the pandemic. The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) stands with workers as we mourn the dead and fight for the living. The commemoration will be held virtually at 12:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time on April 28.
The human cost of COVID-19
The theme of this year's National Day of Mourning, as promoted by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), is The Human Cost of COVID-19. This day represents an important moment to come together and commemorate the approximately 1,000 Canadians who die every year because of an incident that takes place in a workplace. The pandemic, however, has added another level of risk and increased the need for urgency to protect workers. Canada is in the midst of a third wave of the pandemic and is struggling to control the virus. This has led to workers being put at increased risk and has exposed the lack of adequate protection for these vulnerable workers, especially those on the frontlines of the pandemic.
"The pandemic has exposed serious gaps in workplace safety and protection," said Larry Brown, President of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE). "This Day of Mourning launched almost 40 years ago because it was clear that workers were not being properly protected, this pandemic proves we have much more work to do."
Highlights the right every worker has to protect themselves
The ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic has changed our day-to-day lives. Jobs that were previously considered generally safe, are now on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19.
As the CLC notes: "Evidence from across the country, and indeed around the world, shows the virus is spreading at work—not only in health and care settings but also in factories, farm work and food processing, warehouses, schools, offices, transportation and other sectors. Workers have had to fight for access to protective equipment, COVID-safe practices at work, paid sick leave and respect for their basic health and safety rights.”
The National Union wants to ensure that every worker has the ability to protect themselves and that every employer takes their responsibility to provide a safe workplace seriously. Governments must not be complicit in supporting violations of workers' rights. We owe it to all workers to make sure they have the protections and supports to work safely. The pandemic must not become an excuse to weaken these rights, it must be the catalyst to strengthen them.
The struggle continues
Even as vaccines hold out hope that we will gain control of this virus, we are seeing workers continue to be put at risk and not be provided the protections they need to stay safe. All workers, including precarious and vulnerable workers, must have access to job protections, adequate paid sick days and income supports to protect them through this crisis. These are basic protections to ensure the vulnerable are not exposed to undue risk as they provide essential services that we all rely upon. At work, employers must do more to ensure workers have proper personal protective equipment and the training to use it properly.
Work together for safety
The Day of Mourning was born out of the failure to protect workers. While we continue to mourn the dead, we fight for the living to protect workers. The ongoing pandemic has highlighted the need to extend protections to all workers. The most marginalized and precarious workers have been the ones who have been hit hardest. Workplace safety requires all of us to work together — workers, labour representatives, employers and governments.