Union and community members will join families and injured workers this weekend at International Workers Memorial Day services in Hobart and Launceston.
The 28th of April is International Workers Memorial Day, a day marked annually across the globe, to remember those workers who have become ill, injured or killed because of their job.
Today is an important day to remember those workers who did not return home at the end of their working day and to reaffirm our commitment to safety, said Jessica Munday, Unions Tasmania Secretary.
Tasmania needs to do more when it comes to workplace safety. Twenty-two Tasmanians died due to work related incidents over the last three years, with a further nearly 9,000 workers seriously injured. This is not good enough. The union movement is committed to changing the rules around workplace safety, Ms Munday said.
Unions Tasmania welcomed the ALP announcement on Friday that a Shorten Labor Government would introduce an industrial manslaughter offence into Australias harmonised model workplace health and safety laws.
The Morrison Liberal Government has rejected industrial manslaughter laws and is committed to keeping the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) that threatens workers for taking action on safety. If the Liberals wont do more to keep workers safe, we will have to change the government in order to change our safety laws, said Ms Munday.
Hobart
When: Today, Saturday the 27th of April
Where: Parliament Lawns
Time: 11am
Launceston
When: Tomorrow, Sunday the 28th of April
Where: Workers Memorial Park, Elizabeth Gardens
Time: 10am
For further information: Jessica Munday 0417 454 809
International Workers Memorial Day Services this weekend 270419.pdf