National Day of Mourning (Canada)
National Day of Mourning in Canada is observed annually on April 28 to honor workers who have been killed or injured on the job. This day is promoted by organized labor and serves to raise awareness about occupational safety and the importance of compensation for affected workers. Despite Canada’s comprehensive workplace safety legislation, a significant number of workplace fatalities still occur; for instance, approximately 1,027 workers lost their lives in 2018 alone, with higher rates of incidents reported among men.
The observance was officially recognized when the Workers Mourning Day Act was passed by the Canadian parliament on December 28, 1990, and the first commemoration took place in 1991. Activities typically include speeches from political leaders, such as the prime minister, and labor-sponsored events that may involve laying wreaths at graves or memorials. In recent years, social media has played a role in promoting the day's significance, encouraging broader public participation and awareness of workplace safety issues. This observance not only reflects the human cost of workplace accidents but also highlights the economic burden of workers' compensation on Canadian society.
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National Day of Mourning (Canada)
National Day of Mourning (Canada)
In Canada, every April 28 is National Day of Mourning, an annual observance promoted by organized labor in honor of workers killed or injured on the job. Its goal is to draw more attention to occupational safety and compensation issues, including such contemporary issues as the long-term risks of disease from exposure to toxic substances in the work environment.
Canada has had comprehensive workplace safety, health, and compensation legislation for decades, but nevertheless, according to the Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada, approximately 1,027 people were killed while on the job in a variety of industries in 2018. The death and injury rates were higher for men than women. In addition to the human costs, which include pain, bereavement, and emotional distress, the monetary expense of workers' compensation runs to billions of Canadian dollars a year—a considerable amount for a country with fewer than forty million people. On December 28, 1990, the Workers Mourning Day Act was passed by the Canadian parliament. It made April 28 the annual date for this observance, to be held for the first time in 1991. The day is usually marked by a speech from the prime minister and various labor-sponsored events around the country, such as laying wreaths on graves or at monuments. In the twenty-first century, as social media and other internet sites became increasingly popular and accessible, labor activists encouraged Canadian citizens to share posts about the holiday and its meaning.
Bibliography
"April 28 Day of Mourning." Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, Government of Canada, 2 Oct. 2019, www.ccohs.ca/events/mourning/. Accessed 1 Apr. 2020.
McPhee, Deborah. "The National Day of Mourning Is a Reminder Workplaces Should Be Safe." The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2018, theconversation.com/the-national-day-of-mourning-is-a-reminder-workplaces-should-be-safe-95186. Accessed 1 Apr. 2020.
"Statistics." Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada, awcbc.org/?page‗id=14. Accessed 1 Apr. 2020.