19 April, 2012This international workers' memorial day, the global union networks at Gerdau and Tenaris will remember those that have died, been injured or suffered ill health as a result of work and demand that occupational health and safety be one of the highest priorities at their companies.
GLOBAL: Every year on April 28, the World Day on Safety and Health at Work, workers take a moment to reflect on the devastating toll taken by workplace fatalities, injuries, and occupational diseases.
An estimated 16,400 will die in 2012 as a result of their work. That's about 45 fatalities per day. Another 1,570,000 will be diagnosed with a non-fatal occupational disease. An enormous number, millions, impossible to estimate with any accuracy, will be injured on the job.
Unions in the Gerdau and Tenaris global networks will be handing out leaflets to workers at all company facilities on April 28 to highlight the importance of health and safety in the workplace.
The unions will remind company management that there is no simple, magic solution that can be quickly implemented. Instead, occupational health and safety requires hard work and a coordinated effort by unions and company management to continuously improve the working conditions in their plants.
The Gerdau Workers' World Council and the Tenaris Workers' World Council call on both companies to engage in the creation of a Joint International Health and Safety Committees with the unions belonging to the councils.