Global: Workers' Memorial Day Activities 2006

Textile Workers’ federation urges member organisations to join in 28 April Workers' Memorial Day

ITGLWF: The International Textile, Garment & Leather Workers' Federation is urging its worldwide affiliates to join in the 11h International Commemoration Day (ICD) for Dead and Injured Workers on 28 April 2006.

In a letter this past week, General Secretary Neil Kearney said that too many accidents still happen in the textile, garment and leather factories worldwide, noting that there has been a spate of industrial accidents in Bangladesh alone in recent months, in which scores of workers have lost their lives. The ITGLWF encompasses 217 trade unions in 110 countries, many of which are in South East Asia and other countries with poor safety records.

“In reality these incidents are not accidents as they are the result of criminal negligence from employers and Governments,” said Kearney. He urged trade unions to plan activities for 28 April that would highlight the impact of unsustainable work in the textile, garment and leather industries on workers’ lives and well-being.

The Global Unions Campaign Union Workplaces – Safer Workplaces has four aims: to connect with Trade Union Rights and May Day celebrations; to seek a total world ban of asbestos production and use; to promote action on HIV/AIDS as an OHS workplace-issue, and convince the next G8 Summit to establish a permanent working group on HIV/AIDS; and to convince governments to ratify key ILO OHS Instruments, and build support for the Workers’ Group at the ILO to negotiate a new promotional instrument for OHS next June.

In his letter, Kearney directs his affiliates to the ICFTU’s 28 April Guide, which provides the history of 28 April and points to a wide variety of activities that trade unions could plan, both prior to and on the day itself. He also invites them to contact the ITGLWF office in Brussels for materials and documents available in several languages which they could use to organize events for this commemorative day.

Contact: Neil Kearney at nkearney@itglwf.org