Workers' Memorial Day 2022

Our Ref: HSR/4/14

Head Office Circular: NP/0034/22

3^rd March 2022

To: The Secretary

ALL BRANCHES

ALL SHIPPING BRANCHES

ALL REGIONAL COUNCILS

 

Dear Colleague,

 

INTERNATIONAL WORKERS’ MEMORIAL DAY: THURSDAY 28^th APRIL 2022

REMEMBER THE DEAD – FIGHT LIKE HELL FOR THE LIVING

 

The theme for Workers’ Memorial Day this year is: 

 

Make safe and healthy work a fundamental right. 

 

Every year on April 28th International Workers’ Memorial Day (IWMD) commemorates workers who are killed or injured at work.  All around the world the trade union movement unites to remember those who have lost their lives at work, or are made ill from work-related injury and diseases.

 

The theme for WMD each year is chosen by the global union federation, the ITUC, you can find the press release from them here: https://www.ituc-csi.org/International-Workers-Memorial-Day-2022

 

Since the pandemic Workers’ Memorial Day is more important than ever - as the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed an occupational health crisis in workplaces worldwide. 

 

Given this I write to encourage you to organise an event to mark the day. There are some suggestions here from TUC as to what you could do:

 

• Online memorial wall to remember someone who lost their life to work here
• Check out TUC workers’ health & safety timeline and use it for member education here
• Host a WMD event and list it on the TUC website with an interactive map here

 

• Ask your local council to sign up to our Stay Safe, Join a Union campaign here
• Posters and graphics for social media here

Other suggestions as to how to take part:

Organise an online campaign. Host a video call or webinar. Organise an event at your workplace to promote members health and safety issues.  If you have vacancies for health and safety representatives in your workplace, contact RMT members who you know would make great safety reps and encourage them to take up the role. 

Please see the TUC IWMD web page https://www.tuc.org.uk/international-workers-memorial-day-iwmd which gets regularly updated with details of local and national events.

 

Never before has the slogan for Workers Memorial Day been more appropriate:

Remember the dead – but fight like hell for the living. 

 

Please make the contents of this Circular available to all appropriate members.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Michael Lynch

General Secretary