National Observances

On 28 April governments, employers and workers all over the world marked World Day for Safety and Health at Work. The events below give some examples of events which took place in different countries. Click on an underlined letter in the alphabet to find out what happened in countries beginning with that letter.
The list is by no means exhaustive. Please feel free to contact us with information on other events which happened on 28 April to mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2003 at this address: safeday@ilo.org

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ALBANIA:

A memorial meeting and safety and health discussion was organized by the Office of the ILO's National Correspondant in Albania which was attended by the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, the Presidents of Employers' and Workers' Associations and the President of the Association of Work Invalids. The tripartite discussion on safety and health at work was covered by state television in the central news programme and by some private television stations. For more details please see the report on the event.

ARGENTINA:

A special meeting was organized by the Ministry of Labour on April 28, to observe the World Day. Three ministers attended: Ms. Graciela Camaño (Labour), Mr. Gines Gonzalez García (Health) and Ms. Graciela Giannettasio (Education), along with the director of ILO Buenos Aires Office Ms. Ana Lía Piñeyrúa. Major representatives of employers and workers also attended. The meeting had wide media coverage (newspapers, TV and radio). Two of the articles published can be viewed here:
Pagina           Nacion

In 2002 the 28 April was declared "National day in memory of workers killed and injured at work" in Argentina.

Dia Nacional en Memoria de los Trabajadores Fallecidos y Heridos en Ocasion del Trabajo

BELGIUM:

Awareness raising was the key to ILO activities in Belgium. Press releases and informational material were sent to over 2000 contacts and correspondants, and four major Belgian newspapers printed articles on World Day for Safety and Health at Work. The article in "Metro", a newspaper which is distributed on a large scale, free of charge, every morning in all public transport stations even made the front page. Here are the French and the Dutch versions.
Both major Belgian trade union confederations (CSC and FGTB) organized meetings and information campaigns. In addition the FGTB has put a formal request to the government that 28 April be recognized as the annual day of commemoration throughout the country. ILO ribbons were distributed at the trade union events, which also benefited from logistical support from the ILO office in Brussels.

BERMUDA:

The Bermuda Government made a declaration on the steps of City Hall to recognise 28 April as the International Day for Dead and Injured Workers. All employers, unions and government ministries and departments were encouraged to participate. The programme was as follows:

• 11:45 a.m.  Converge on steps of City Hall
• 12:00 noon  Declaration by a representative of Government
• 12:15 p.m.  Workers march from City Hall to The Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity
• 12:30 p.m.  Candle-lighting service in recognition of dead and seriously injured workers.

BOSNIA I HERZEGOVINA:

The Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bosnia i Herzegovina held a commemoration speech followed by a minute of silence on May 1st. The session was attended by government and employer representatives. The ILO press release was translated and distributed.

BRAZIL:

In March 2003, Brazil's government-backed tripartite insitute for safety and health at work adopted 28 April as International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers. In concert with the ILO, Fundacentro organised events on the theme of "strengthening prevention" on 28 April this year in Sao Paulo. The ILO was represented by the Director of the ILO's Brazil office Armand Pereira, and the Federal Government was represented by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr. Jaques Wagner. The event was coordinated by Fundacentro´s President, Mr. Nilton Freitas. A choral formed by workers was presented, as well as a video with messages from researchers, workers, and people related to the occupational safety and health area. There was also a candle-lighting commemoration ceremony.
Here you can view a newspaper article on the Day in Portuguese and the press release .

Uma data em homenagem aos trabalhadores vitimados por acidentes de trabalho

BULGARIA:

The Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (CITUB) responded to the ICFTU and ILO appeals and organised a press conference and wreath-laying at a stone memorial in memory of dead and injured workers in front of CITUB headquarters. The union also sent letters of condolence to families of workers killed in work accidents. In addition local events were organized.

CANADA:

In 1984, the Canadian Labour Council's Executive Council declared an annual day of remembrance for workers killed and injured on the job. April 28 was chosen as the day of remembrance because this was the day that third reading took place for the first comprehensive Worker’s Compensation Act (Ontario 1914) in Canada. On February 1, 1991 this bill received Royal Assent.

The Canadian Labour Council's Day of Mourning

CARRIBEAN ILO OFFICE:

A number of activities supporting World Day for Safety and Health at Work were carried out by the ILO's subregional office for the Carribean. As well as an information campaign including letters, articles, media releases and advertisements, a book display of publications on occupational safety and health took place on 28 April in the ILO library located at Cipriani College of Labour and Cooperatives. For more information please contact Mr. Luis Reguera.

CZECH REPUBLIC:

The Czech-Moravian Federation of Trade Unions organised a seminar on 22 April opened by a minute of silence. The seminar concentrated on stress, psychosocial aspects of workload and promotion of health and safety at work. Representatives of government, employers and research institutes also attended.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO:

The ILO office in Kinshasa organized an event which was attended by representatives of social partners, the government and UN agencies. After presentations of the country's new Work Code, there was a debate on the theme "Promoting a safety and health culture at work". This was followed by a guided visit of an member enterprise of the Federation of Enterprises in Congo (FES) with a good track record in implementing health and safety directives. For more information contact Toudjida Andemal.

EGYPT:

World Day was celebrated on 20 May in cooperation with the Cairo Labour Inspectorate. A panel discussion on the theme "Promoting and implementing a safety culture in Egyptian enterprises" was organized. ILO constituents and around 30 enterprises were invited. Among those enterprises 5 from different sectors reported on their safety programmes to initiate discussion. Representatives of trade unions, the Employers' Federation and the Ministry of Labour were on the panel, along with the ILO. The ILO representatives used this opportunity to promote the ILO's occupational safety and health management system guidelines.

FIJI:

The ILO Suva Office in conjunction with the Fiji Government (Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations & Productivity), the Fiji Employers' Federation (FEF) and the Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) formed a committee to spearhead the observation of the Day. There were a series of media campaigns on safety and health at work from 23 April and the culminating activity on 28 April was a drama presentation in a downtown park staging an accident at a construction site. The demonstration involved workers and their families, their employer, an ambulance, police, a hearse and occupational health and safety inspectors. At the end, the tripartite partners held up a banner reading "Safety at Work - Everyone's Responsibility".

GERMANY:

On the occasion of the ILO World Day, the German Federation of Institutions for Statutory Accident Insurance and Prevention (HVBG - Hauptverband der Gewerblichen Berufsgenossenschaften) launched two year, three million dollar publicity campaign to prevent accidents caused by tripping, slipping and falling "Sicherer Auftritt". The strong involvement of the ILO and the tight cooperation between the ILO and HVBG was demonstrated in the presence and address of Executive Director Tapiola during the inauguration ceremony (see the photograph below) and in the use of the ILO's World Day logo - together with that of the Federation - on posters and in publications during the whole campaign in fifteen major cities. With its 35 sectorial members the HVBG covers the entire range of economic activities in Germany. Every member has its own monthly or quarterly magazine, which are being encouraged to pick up this event ensuring widespread coverage.
On the picture you can see (from left to right): Dr. Walter Eichendorf, Deputy Managing Director of the HVBG, Klaus Hinne, Chairman of the HVBG, Annie Friesinger, ice skating gold medal tracker, Kari Tapiola, ILO Executive Director for the Standards and Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work Sector (ED/NORM) . In the front rows: The Berlin ice hockey team "The Polar Bears" ("Berliner Eisbären").
For more information:
sicherer-auftritt@hvbg.de
Aktion: Sicherer Auftritt
ILO Bonn: press release

GUYANA:

The government of Guyana has changed their celebration of Occupational Health and Safety Month from November to April to coincide with the ILO's World Day for Safety and Health at Work. On the 28 April there was a full-page advertisement in daily papers informing readers about the Day. An award ceremony took place for companies that promote a safe and healthy culture at work. For more information please contact Gweneth King, Chief Occupational Safety and Health Officer in the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security.

HUNGARY:

The National Confederation of Trade Unions organized a tripartite conference attended by representatives of all trade unions, the labour inspectorate, employers and the press. Ms. Annie Rice participated on behalf of the ILO. The conference focused on employer accountability (a theme chosen by the ICFTU for International Workers' Memorial Day). The participants related the theme to legislation and practice and attention was called to the roles and responsibilities of all concerned. The conference was followed by a candle-lighting and flower-laying ceremony at the site of a work accident in which two workers were killed two years ago at one of the biggest shopping malls in the centre of Budapest. Press coverage was extensive. There were articles in at least four national daily newspapers, including the top two economics papers read by management, and prime time television news coverage.

INDIA:

The ILO's New Delhi office planned and implemented a Workshop on Occupational Safety and Health for Agricultural, Plantation and Rural Workers which took place on 28-29 April 2003 to mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work. 45 participants were invited to the workshop from trade unions, employers and government agencies. The aim of the workshop was to raise awareness on occupational safety and health, particularly in the agricultural and plantation sectors and to provide guidance on policies and prevention measures to both employers and workers and their respective organizations. The programme for the event can be viewed here.
For more information please contact Mr. Pong Sul Ahn.

ITALY:

The Rome branch office of the ILO organized a conference on the theme "For a safety culture at the workplace" in concert with the Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL- Istituto Nazionale per l'Assicurazione contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro). Participants came from trade unions, employers' organizations and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Prevention (ISPESL - Istituto Superiore per la Prevenzione e la Sicurezza del Lavoro). The conference took place in the Villa Aldobrandini, where the Rome Branch Office premises are located. To view the programme click here.
Extensive media coverage was achieved with articles published in 18 different newspapers and magazines, including La Stampa, La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera. Eight state and private TV channels covered the Day, and there were interviews with the Director of the ILO Rome office on four radio stations, including state radio daily news. For more information please contact Mr. Fabien Rollinger.

JAPAN:

On the 21 April the ILO's Tokyo Branch Office held a public forum to raise awareness of the important linkage between safety and health at work on the one hand and environment and development on the other. Please view the report on the event for details on the panelists present and a review of the content of the debate.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work ILO Forum (Tokyo)

KAZAKHSTAN:

In the Republic of Kazakhstan the World Day for Safety and Health at Work was used to promote discussions on the new draft law on occupational safety and health. A triparite round table discussion was held, and a media campaign organized.
You can see here a copy of a message of support sent from the Mr. B. Ashitov, Vice-Minister for Labour and Social Protection of Kazakhstan, to Dr. Jukka Takala, Director of SafeWork at the ILO.

LATIN AMERICA ILO OFFICE

Safety and Health Week took place from 23-30 April, a tripartite and civil society effort led by the ILO. Under the slogan "Por el Trabajo y la Vida" employers' organizations, trade unions, NGOs, the Pan America Health Organization, the WHO and the Labour and Health Ministry organized and participated in a Safety and Health International Fair with symposia, round tables, media and cultural activities geared towards both constituents and the general public.
Media activities included a press conference on 22 April, and an aggressive media agenda with TV, radio and print interviews. A press release was distributed across the whole region.
The ILO and a tripartite/WHO/civil society working group on occupational safety and health held a poster contest under the slogan "Por el Trabajo y la Vida".
On the 28 April itself, a Convention on Safety and Health, organized by the Labour Ministry opened with a ceremony. The Peruvian Labour Minister presided and a key note address was made by prominent occupational safety and health specialist Dr. Bernardo Bedrikow, who was specially invited by the ILO's Andean subregional office. The Ministers of Health, Mine and Agriculture were expected to attend, along with highest representatives from the labour and business communities.
For more detailed information on the specific activities during Safety and Health Week, please contact Mr. Miguel Schapira.

LEBANON:

The ILO office in Lebanon celebrated World Day for Safety and Health at Work by organizing a Round Table Discussion on Safety Culture at Work in Beirut. The meeting was held under the patronage of the Ministry of Labour and Dr. Rifai spoke on behalf of ILO. Also invited were the Ministries of Health, Environment, Agriculture, Industry and other government departments including the Social Security Fund, as well as the employers' and workers' organizations, UN agencies, universities and NGOs. Arrangements were made with the local radio and TV for full coverage. The programme of the Round Table Discussion can be viewed here.

LITHUANIA:

The Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation organised a tripartite meeting and invited all workers to mark a one-minute silence at noon on 28 April.

MADAGASCAR:

The ILO office in Antananarivo organized a conference-debate on current safety and health issues in Madagascar. Representatives from the government responsible for labour and health, employers, trade unionists and occupational safety and health specialists were invited to participate. Key members of the press were also present to ensure media coverage of any recommendations produced by the debate. In the run up to April 28, a press statement appeared in three daily papers and a 30 second television message was shown several times on one public and two private television stations. For more information please contact Ms. Anne-Marie Ralaivola.

   

PAKISTAN:

The ILO, employers and workers all marked World Day in Pakistan. Papers were presented at a panel discussion on relevant occupational safety and health issues attended by high-ranking tripartite delegates, and posters were produced and distributed in factories. The report from the Director of ILO Islamabad can be viewed here.

PERU:

In 2001 the 28 April was declared "National day for safety and health at work".

La Declaracion de Lima

PHILIPPINES:

Together with its tripartite partners the ILO Office in Manila held a National Tripartite Meeting on Safety and Health at Work on April 28, 2003. The meeting's aims were to increase the awareness of safety and health at work using advocacy tools. It also served as an opportunity to share information on current policies and practice on occupational safety and health in the Philippines undertaken by the government, employers’ and workers’ organizations and other partner organizations. A series of media events including radio programs and press releases on safety and health in major dailies and health magazines were organized. Significantly the Department of Labour issued a Department Order enjoining all offices to commemorate April 28 every year.
Several documents on activities in Manila can be viewed:

• Programme
• Press release
• Keynote speech
• Report

POLAND:

The Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute organized an exhibition of posters and publications on occupational safety and health to be held in the foyer of the Colonnade Hall on the premises of the Sejm (Parliament) of the Republic of Poland from 22-28 April. The exhibition complemented a special session of the Labour Protection Council of Poland, part of the agenda of which was a discussion of Poland's strategy in fulfilling objectives determined by the "SafeWork" programme being implemented by the ILO. On the 28 April itself, Mrs. Anna Hintz, Chief Labour Inspector of Poland, gave a speech marking World Day at the Labour Protection Council meeting.
There were also many local events organized by District Labour Inspectorates, such as speeches, open days, advice centres, seminars and church services for the victims of accidents at work, for example in Bialystok, Krakow, Lodz, Olsztyn, Opole, Poznan, Rzeszow, Warsaw, Wroclaw and Zielona Gora. For more information on these local events, please click here.
The following web sites also have more information:
Poster exhibition
World Day in Poland
National Labour Inspectorate

PORTUGAL:

In 2001 Portuguese unions began marking "International day for victims of occupational accidents and diseases". More recently the government has recognised the Day.

Jornada Internacional pelas Vítimas dos Acidentes de Trabalho e das Doenças Profissionais

 

RUSSIAN FEDERATION:

The ILO office in Moscow organized a number of activities to mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work. There was a one hour discussion programme on the popular radio station "Echo Moskvy" at prime time on the 24 April, with a summary during the day on 28 April. There was a public launching of OSH publications in Russian for invited experts, and both at the Lenin libary, one of the biggest in the world, and in the Russian parliament there were exhibitions of ILO publications, CDs and internet pages on occupational safety and health.
Further activities were organized in many areas of the Russian Federation, for example St. Petersburg, Odessa, Magnitogorsk and Perm.
Thanks to much hard work by our colleagues in Moscow, ILO materials on World Day for Safety and Health at Work are available in Russian and English at both the following addresses:
Safework Academy
ILO Moscow
Activities also took place outside of the Russian Federation in Azerbaijan, Belorussia, Georgia, Tadjikistan and Uzbekistan. For more information please contact Mr. Wiking Husberg.

SOUTH AFRICA:

The ILO office in Pretoria organized exhibitions, speeches and press releases to mark the Day. There was also a Stakeholder Ceremony which took place at the Anglo-Gold Mine in Carltonville, Gauteng. The event included addresses by social partners, a minute's silence to salute the dead and injured, and a tour of the mines. For more information please contact Ms. Boshigo Matlou.

SPAIN:

Since 1999 Spain has been officially marking a "Day for Safety and Health at Work" on 28 April, with strong union support.

2001
2002
2003

THAILAND:

The ILO's Subregional Office for Southeast Asia in conjunction with OSHEI, the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and the Ministry of Public Health jointly organized a commemorative event to mark the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. The event had two parts.
First, there was a ceremony reflecting on occupational hazards and illnesses that have long troubled Thai workers and businesses and current progress the Thai government and civil society organizations have made to enhance safety and health at work. The ceremony included input from high-ranking ILO and Thai government officials.
The second part of the event was a consultation meeting of representatives from concerned organizations to discuss safety and health in the Thai agricultural sector. The consultation aimed at raising public awareness on occupational hazards facing Thai agricultural workers and employers and brainstorming about future collaborative strategies, as the Thai government now has planned to increase safety and health in this sector.
As well as this forward-looking aspect, they also remembered the past and the Kader Toy Factory Fire Tragedy 10 years ago. The ILO's Bangkok office provided financial assistance for the production of posters about the Kader Fire Tragedy to display at throughout this event and for permanent display at the Thai Labour Museum in Bangkok. A representative of SRO-Bangkok gave a speech at one of the public seminars organized to commemorate workers who died in the Kader Fire Tragedy.
Press coverage included articles in the Bangkok Post and The Nation.
For more information about ILO activities on World Day for Safety and Health at Work please contact Tsuyoshi Kawakami.

TUNISIA:

World day in Tunisia was celebrated by the ILO in cooperation with the ISST (Institut de Santé et de Sécurité au Travail) during the International Workshop on the Promotion of Occupational Safety and Health in Small and Medium sized Enterprises organized by ISST on 6 and 7 May 2003. During the opening session of the Workshop, which took place under the patronage of the Minister of Social Affairs and Dr. Ben Laiba Director General of ISST, the celebration of World Day was highlighted by the ILO, and a special session of the workshop itself was devoted to World Day.

TURKEY:

The ILO office in Ankara organized a successful panel discussion on "Safety and Health Culture in the Workplace" with high-level participation of ILO constituents to mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work. The discussion was opened by the Director of ILO Ankara, Ms. Gülay Aslantepe and moderated by Prof. Gürhan Fisek, Director of Fisek Foundation, and NGO involved in child labour and occupational health issues. The members of the panel were:

• Mr. Melih Gürses (Metal Industrialists Union MESS)
• Mr. Özcan Karabulut TÜRK-IS Specialist for Training
• Mr. Yusuf Engin (Vice-President of HAK-IS)
• Mr. Kazum Bakis (President of DISK LIMITER-IS)
• Mr. Vedat Reha Mert (Director General of Occupational Safety and Health at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security)
• Mr. Oktay Tan (Director of Occupational Diseases, Work Accidents Research and Prevention Foundation)
• Dr. Kayihan Pala (Turkish Chamber of Physicians)
• Ms. Müzeyyen Asma (Labour Inspectors' Association)

The following photographs were taken:
Participants           The panel

Media coverage of the Day included an article in the major daily newspaper "Radikal" and live interviews with Ms. Aslantepe on Turkish state radio and television.

UKRAINE:

The ILO's World Day for Safety and Health at Work is supported by the Ukrainian State Committee on Surveillance over Occupational Safety and Health, which instituted a Week of Promotion of the Safe Work Culture, 21-25 April. The Committee organized over 60 seminars and round tables with social partners and encouraged enterprises to hold their own events to promote the theme of the Day. In a focus on labour inspection, about 1000 surveys and inspections in enterprises were conducted during the week. Media coverage was extensive, including 37 special television programmes, 55 radio broadcasts and over 100 articles in newspapers and magazines. A competition to determine the safest enterprises led to prizes being awarded to 287 workers in around 80 enterprises.
There were also events to commemorate workers who died at work, mainly in the mining areas of Ukraine. As well as memorial events, financial and material assistance was provided to the families of dead or injured miners.
The success of the Day and the support received from all social partners has led the organizing committee to put a request to the government to make the Week of Promotion of the Safe Work Culture a yearly event. In addition a special agreement has been contracted between the State Committee on Surveillance over Occupational Safety and Health and the State Committee on TV and Radio Issues to facilitate their collaboration on promoting a safety and health culture on a regular basis in future.
For a detailed report please click here.
For more information please contact Vasyl Kostrytsya.

UNITED KINGDOM:

The TUC is active in commemorating International Workers' Memorial Day in concert with the ILO's World Day for Safety and Health at Work. The TUC's safety and health magazine published the following article by the director of SafeWork:
Decent Work
For a collection of union materials on 28 April see: Materials

VIET NAM:

In Viet Nam the first part of a meeting on Viet Nam's National Safety Week was dedicated to World Day for Safety and Health at Work and its key messages. A number of speeches were made, including by Rose Marie Greve, Director of the ILO Office in Viet Nam. The meeting was attended by senior occupational safety and health practitioners and senior policy makers from the relevant Ministries, as well as from employers' and workers' organizations, so the Safety Day message had a wide reach.
Media coverage was good, including newspapers, radio and TV. A news clip was filmed especially for one of the major TV channels. This article in the Voice of Viet Nam gives more details on events.
Pamphlets were issued and distributed via employers' organizations to enterprises and a new edition of the ILO's CD-ROM on occupational safety and health in Viet Nam was launched.