An Annual Event

The following events happened world wide on or around 28 April 2006. Please let us know if you have anything to add to the list: safeday@ilo.org

In addition to the country events listed below, many workplaces celebrate World Day through their own initiative.

ISSA, the International Social Security Association, celebrated World Day for Safety and Health at Work. Please see their website for more details: ISSA

Regional Office for Africa (RO-Abidjan)
Subregional Office Abidjan
	ILO Office Lagos: Nigeria	The government, employers' and workers' organizations have worked together to set up an impressive programme of events for World Day for Safety and Health at Work. Prayers at churches and mosques started events on 23 April, and there was a press briefing on the day after. Talk shows on major media channels were foreseen for 25 April, featuring senior officials representing the government, employers and workers. 27 April saw active removal of safety and health hazards in key workplaces. On 28 April there was a symposium for 500 participants. For 29 April a walk and rally was planned, leading into May Day celebrations.
Subregional Office Addis Ababa
	Ethiopia	ILO-Addis planned various activities to be supported by posters printed in Amharic and distribution of the World Day reports. There were radio programmes, panel discussions and a display stand at the Employers Trade Fair.
	ILO Office Dar es Salaam: Kenya	Kenya celebrated National Safety and Health Week from 21 to 28 April 2006. National celebrations were held in Nakuru, while particular attention was paid to the horticultural and floriculture sector in Naivasha. The Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety Services sent out invitations to the Nakuru events and encouraged workplaces to organize activities that promote safety and health through workplace safety and health committees. It also issued awards to companies complying particularly well with safety and health requirements. The Kenyan Plantations Agricultural Workers Union supported the Global Unions campaign to use 28 April to lobby the G8 industrialized countries to set up a permanent high-level working group on HIV/AIDS.*
	Tanzania	A tripartite press conference was held on 27 April to launch activities for 28 April. The Trade Union Congress of Tanzania supported the Global Unions campaign to use 28 April to lobby the G8 industrialized countries to set up a permanent high-level working group on HIV/AIDS.*
	Uganda	A celebration took place on 28 April coordinated by the Ugandan Centre for Occupational Safety and Health. Banners were made, and the Day was publicized on radio talk shows. The National Organization of Trade Unions supported the Global Unions campaign to use 28 April to lobby the G8 industrialized countries to set up a permanent high-level working group on HIV/AIDS.*
	ILO Office Antananarivo: Madagascar	Celebrations in Madagascar were this year combined with the Day for Workplace Health, on 1-2 June 2006, which are under the patronage of the Ministers of Labour, of Health and of Social Protection. Many contributions for the Day were based on the themes of 28 April. The Director of the ILO's Office in Antananarivo addressed the meeting, which was widely publicized in print and electronic media.
Subregional Office Cairo
	ILO Office Algiers: Algeria	With the support of the Minister of Labour and Social Security, the INPRP (Institut National de la Prévention des Risques Professionels) organised a Safe Work Study Day on 29 April 2006. It took place in Annaba and included the inauguration of the organization's new annexe there. The meeting was addressed by the Minister of Labour and Social Security, the Secretary General of the UGTA trade union and the president of employers' organization. Please see the programme of the meeting for more details.
	Tunisia	On the initiative of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Emigration and Tunisians abroad (Ministère des Affaires Sociales, de l'Emigration et des Tunisiens à l'Etranger) several workshops were held in Tunis. The day was marked by rich interventions of both theoretical and practical order.
Subregional Office Dakar
	Senegal	The SAT-SDR (Le Syndicat autonome des travailleurs sénégalais des eaux) and four affiliated unions of the International Textile, Garnement & Leather Workers' Federation participated in the Global Unions campaign to use 28 April to lobby the G8 industrialized countries to set up a permanent high-level working group on HIV/AIDS.*
Subregional Office Harare
	ILO Office Lusaka: Malawi	The Government of Malawi organized a series of activities for 28 April. These included a march with placards, banners and a police band, traditional dances, exhibitions in pavillions, drama presentations and panel discussions. They also produced awareness raising material such as T-shirts and caps as well as television and radio documentaries, DVDs and CDs. There were phone-ins on major media channels, and a postage stamp was created for the occasion. The Minister of Labour and Social Development as well as the State President held speeches.
	ILO Office Pretoria: South Africa	The ILO Office in Pretoria planned a number of activities for World Day 2006 in cooperation with tripartite partners. It was also successful in mobilizing partners in Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland to mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work. An annual commemoration of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work was held at Tzaneen, Limpopo Province (ZA). Between 600 and 700 stakeholders attended the commemoration. There were speeches held by the social partners, the Director of ILO Pretoria and the Minister of Labour. Please view the Director's speech for more details. Many high profile delegates participated in the event. Exhibitions from private and public sector organizations as well as entertainment through traditional folklore surrounded the event. There was a particular focus on the link between HIV/AIDS and child labour as well as migration and the question of rural workers and trade union membership. The Congress of South Africain Trade Unions (COSATU) focused on HIV/AIDS as a May Day activity. They organized also a special focus on occupational safety and health issues in the agricultural sector.*
	Swaziland	Swaziland celebrated World Day for Safety and Health at Work for the first time on 28 April 2006. The week of 28 April was used for the promotion of safety and health at work, especially through the media. The Minister for Enterprise and Employment launched the activities on 21 April 2006. The Minister mentioned that Swaziland will from now on have an annual Occupational Safety and Health Week. On 28 April 2006, stakeholders met at Esibayeni Lodge where there were speeches, presentations and an exhibition all with an occupational safety and health theme.
	Botswana	Several activities took place in the capital of Botswana, Gaborone. The ILO had a stall where several companies exhibited their work safety material. The Ministry of Labour was also involved in the activities. Many people were wearing a piece of safety clothing such as a helmet. Different drama groups participated in activities at several locations and a local utilities company sponsored some media coverage.
	Lesotho	There was a tripartite event in Maseru including enterprises from the textile sector and participants from the ILO Workplace Education Program on HIV/AIDS funded by the US Department of Labour. The focus was on safety and health at work and HIV/AIDS which was supported by the presence of workers living with HIV/AIDS. Three enterprises demonstrated the practical implementation of occupational safety and health and HIV/AIDS policies at the workplace.
Subregional Office Yaoundé
	Angola	The National Trade Union of Angolan Workers (Unta Confideração Sindical) organized a national program to start on 24 April and end on 29 April. Activities took place both inside and outside, including: workshops, debates, trips to hospitals to visit workers living with HIV/AIDS, religious ceremonies, and a pedestrian competition of "Viva Vida Sem Sida" - Viva Life Without HIV/Aids". The Union also supported the Global Unions campaign to use 28 April to lobby the G8 industrialized countries to set up a permanent high-level working group on HIV/AIDS.*
	ILO Office Kinshasa: Democratic Republic of Congo	The Kinshasa Office reports that the Ministry of Labour and the National Social Security Institute were interested in celebrating 28 April.
Regional Office for Arab States (RO-Beirut)
	Lebanon	The ILO organized a one day tripartite meeting for World Day for Safety and Health on the 27 April highlighting the workplace response to HIV/AIDS. The meeting, which was under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Labour, included speeches by political leaders and podium discussions by experts in the fields of occupational health and safety and HIV/AIDS. Participants represented the ILO's tripartite consituents from across the country and academics. Please see the programme for more details. The main aim of the meeting was to promote world-wide recognition of 28 April as a way of educating workers and the public about workplace hazards and to promote safe workplaces. The following photographs were taken at the event: The panelists; The audience; Group photograph The Office also planned thorough national media coverage and produced a poster which plays on an Arabic proverb: "Work on Silk". This represents comfort for workers through the removal of occupational hazards.
	Yemen	The CIS centre in Yemen was planning to hold an activity for World Day, possibly in conjunction with General Department Occupational Safety and Health (GDOHS), who held a training course on “The protection of working women from occupational hazards in the working environment” with collaboration of WHO, starting on 29 April.
	West Bank and Gaza Strip	The Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) planned to organize a conference on 29 April. Workers and representatives of civil society were expected to attend the meeting. Speeches from Mohmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, as well as the General Secretary of the PGFTU and representatives of non-governmental organizations were planned. Their aim was to adopt recommendations for the prevention of work-related accidents and the improvement of health and safety policies at the workplace.*
	Bahrain	The Bahrain Health and Safety Society organized a nationwide celebration for 28 April. Health and safety managers, supervisors and officers at all establishments participated in the event. The government (Ministry of Labour, Safety Section) prepared the event and produced its own poster. The key message at the event was accident statistics and how to prevent workplace accidents in future.
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RO-Bangkok)
	Australia	A number of Australian government agencies have again shown great interest in World Day and were marking the Day this year.
	New Zealand	28 April activities took place across New Zealand. Planned events ranged from special commemoration services, to art shows and exhibitions, and in several cases, activities were planned to flow into May Day celebrations.*
Subregional Office Bangkok
	Malaysia	The National Council for Safety and Health in Malaysia was planning a large scale celebration with as many as 1000 participants representing government, empoyers and workers. The aim of the event was to contribute to making safe work a normal part of working life.
	Thailand	The ILO-Bangkok organized an event together with the Ministry of Labour and the Thai Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Institute. About 200 people participated from the Thai OSH Institute, social partners, high school students and the general public. Special banners, candles and T-Shirts were produced and there was also an exhibition. A senior official from the Ministry of Labour gave an opening speech.
	Lao People's Democratic Republic	The ILO Social Security Project hosted a tripartite meeting with the Labour Protection Department (MoLSW), the Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU) and the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) on 28 April at the offices of the Labour Protection Department. Each organization presented information relevant to safety and health at work. MoLSW presented their National Action Plan. LFTU presented the training materials developed in conjunction with the project and survey results from key workplaces. The Lao Media were also invited, along with the Minister of MoLSW. Other invitees included UNIDO, WHO, UNAIDS, Handicap International and AAR of Japan.
	Cambodia	The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MOLVT) with support from ILO organised a national safety day workshop in Phnom Penh on 28 April 2006. The workshop was held at the Department of Occupational Health (DOH). The workshop celebrated the first National Safety Day in Cambodia in conjunction with World Day for Safety and Health at Work. Please see the programme in English or in Khmer for more details (to view the Khmer version you need to have the correct fonts installed). In addition to this event, the Cambodian branch of the ILO Workplace Education Programme on HIV/AIDS funded by the US Depatment of Labour also celebrated 28 April. Senior representatives from all parties participated in the event: trade union leaders from the two main confederations and their members, employer representatives, government representatives from the Ministries of Labour, of Health and from the National AIDS Authority, ILO representatives, as well as many AIDS-related stakeholders. In all, about 150-180 participants attended this tripartite meeting. The event was acknowledged by the Ministry of Labour, the National AIDS Authority, UNAIDS and trade unions. 28 April was proposed to be a national event to be celebrated annually. The Cambodia Confederations of Trade Unions and the Cambodia Labour Confederation prepared with the help of ILO/AIDS a letter for the ambassady of Germany in support of the Global Unions campaign to use 28 April to lobby the G8 industrialized countries to set up a permanent high-level working group on HIV/AIDS.
	Republic of Korea	In Korea there was a special memorial ceremony for victims of occupational accidents or diseases on 28 April. FKTU (Federation of Korean Trade Unions), one of the most representative trade unions, held the ceremony which was supported by the Ministry of Labour. Mr. Seongjung Kim, Vice minister of Labour participated in the ceremony and made a speech. He emphasized that government will increase its budget to promote safety and health at work and improve the industrial accident compensation insurance scheme. There were 500 participants in the ceremony including Mr. Yongdeuk Lee, the chairman of FKTU, union leaders, many workers and their families.
	ILO Office Beijing: China	The ILO, the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS), the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) and the China Enterprise Confederation (CEC) organized a high level workshop on occupational safety and health in the petrochemical industry in China on 28 April 2006 in Beijing. The Minister of the SAWS attended the meeting with participation of multinationals, national corporations, trade unions, employers and media. The Director of the ILO's Beijing office made an opening speech on behalf of the ILO. A further event was held in Beijing. A nationwide safety campaign was launched in the chemicals sector. Chemical related enterprises employ over 5 million workers in China. Workshop participants included top management, worker representatives from the chemicals sector and participants from the high level workshop mentioned above. The following pictures were taken at the events: Workshop inside; Chemical workers outside; Ms. Constance Thomas, Director of ILO-Beijing The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions joined with community coalitions to improve safety and health at work. The activities included a forum, a photo exhibition and a march.*
Subregional Office New Delhi
	India	The Indian Association of Occupational Health marked the 28 April by holding a symposium on Decent Work - Safe Work - HIV/AIDS. The Sri Ramachandran Medical College and Research Institute, the newly appointed collaborating CIS centre, organized an inaugural stakeholder workshop on 28 April as part of the EU-funded project on Sound Chemicals Management for a Healthier Environment in India and Vietnam. ILO-New Dehli organized three back-to-back events on 26 and 27 April 2006 targeting some of the poorest of the labour force. The expected participants were 1) women working for the export houses (women working in their home or in the street sorting waste from the export houses) 2) industrial male workers (Okhla) and 3) truckers (men). The events featured a short street play, and two or three resource persons addressing questions of identifying and preventing HIV/AIDS (and sexually transmitted diseases) as well as stigmatization and discrimination at work. The venue for three events was a simple tent and the organizers expected 50-100 participants at each event. A partner enterprise of the ILO Workplace Education Programme on HIV/AIDS funded by the US Depatment of Labour in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, with about 9000 workers, organized another event. The HIV/AIDS response at the enterprise was led by the Occupational Health Services Division. It used the ILO report on the theme Decent Work -Safe Work - HIV/AIDS and the posters were displayed in English and Hindi. The company planned to organize training of peer educators and a special event involving unions, peer educators, workers, and management to mark the day. A representative of the HIV/AIDS project was likely to attend on behalf of the ILO project. The Society for Working Life organized an candle lighting event to mark the day among women workers from the informal economy.
	ILO Office Islamabad: Pakistan	The ILO Islamabad supported the Employers' Federation of Pakistan (EFT) in organizing a seminar. Nearly 200 participants were expected and the event was graced by the Minister of Labour. The ILO documentation for World Day was used. The Pakistan Rural Workers Social Welfare Organization (PRWSWO) supported the Global Unions campaign to use 28 April to lobby the G8 industrialized countries to set up a permanent high-level working group on HIV/AIDS.*
	ILO Office Dhaka: Bangladesh	The Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OHSE) organized a series of interactive events from 21 to 28 April with effective participation of trade unions, employers' organizations from different sectors, relevant government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working on labour issues. It held a one day national seminar with tripartite participation on the theme of "Safe Work = Decent Work", as well as two specific workshops on developments in occupational safety and health in the construction sector and in garment manufacturing. A press conference was planned for 27 April, and posters and other awareness-raising materials were used. The OSHE, national occupational safety and health development institutions as well as the ILO's CIS centre for Bangladesh organized a human chain on 28 April. Participants called for the recognition of 28 April as "National Day for Health and Safety at Work" and for a national safety policy for workplaces, including a special policy on HIV/AIDS. OSHE participated in the Global Unions campaign to use 28 April to lobby the G8 industrialized countries to set up a permanent high-level working group on HIV/AIDS.*
Subregional Office Manila
	Philippines	To commemorate 28 April, the Department of Labor and Employment has issued Department Order 44-03 based on the following objectives: promote, enhance and instill national awareness and appreciation on the importance of safety and health at work elicit cooperation and support of the workers, employers, professional groups and especially the general public in upgrading the quality of life in the workplace. The Department strongly encourages all concerned to hang posters or streamers featuring the slogan for each year and to conduct advocacy campaigns to sustain preventive programs. The Department through the Occupational Safety and Health Center gave awards to companies and individuals who have made outstanding achievements in the field of safety and health at work. The Department of Agrarian Reform organized an occupational safety and health caravan (motorcade). As part of the activity, a learning session was conducted featuring essential topics of safety and health at work such as: How to prevent work-related deaths resulting from HIV/AIDS Understanding occupational safety and health in agriculture Helpful tips on safety awareness for farmers and other community members Sharing of experiences on best practices
Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (RO-Geneva)
	ILO Office Paris: France	The Minister of Labour of France demonstrated his commitment for the 28 April by issuing a highly supportive press release. The French government fully joins World Day for Safety and Health at Work organized by the ILO. Gerard LARCHER, Minister for Employment, wholeheartedly shares the awareness-raising objective of 28 April. He has made the prevention of accidents and diseases related to work one of his political priorities, resulting in the National Health Plan at Work 2005-2009.
	ILO Office Ankara: Turkey	The Turkish Occupational Health and Safety Center (ISGUM) launched its new project on safety and health in the construction sector with a special ceremony on 28 April 2006.
	ILO Office Madrid: Spain	The largest Spanish unions, the CC.OO and the UGT, were planning a full week of activities in all regions of the country to promote safety and health at work. 28 April in Spain coincided with the 10th anniversary of a national law that promotes action on work-related risks.*
	ILO Office Rome: Italy	The Confederazione Italiana Sindicati Lavoratori (CISL) held a national conference on 28 April on the issue of asbestos. The conference brought together national trade union and university experts on asbestos and from the Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL).*
	ILO Office Lisbon: Portugal	The Director of the ILO Office in Lisbon was invited to participate in several seminars in connection with the celebrations of 28 April. The Office took part in a live programme on Portuguese public television.
	ILO Office Brussels: Belgium	A half-day event focusing on the mining industry was held in Belgium, co-organized by the government and the trade unions. The event was attended by the Director of the ILO Office in Brussels. Please see the programme for more details. The ILO's Brussels Office issued an electronic news bulletin publicising 28 April, along with other important ILO issues. The bulletin is sent on a monthly basis to all ILO correspondants in the Benelux countries and in European institutions.
	Luxemburg	On World Day for Safety and Health at Work, Luxemburg’s General Labour Inspectorate arranged a visit to an exemplary company regarding safety and health. It also initiated a high-level round table bringing together the Ministers François Biltgen and Mars di Bartolomeo, relevant authorities, social partners and the Chamber of Commerce. The meeting conducted a progress report on the Action Plan Against Work-Related Accidents and pointed out the importance of a preventative approach of avoiding risks and instituting a culture of “well-being” at work. The importance of tripartism and social dialogue was stressed. Please see the photograph and the press release from the event.
	Finland	The Finnish Centre for Occupational Safety organized its third celebration of World Day for Safety and Health at Work. Events took place in eight different locations at the same time on the theme of "Young People at Work - Decent and Safe Work for All". The target groups were employers and workers at work places, and also students in vocational institutions and polytechnics. Participation was expected from workers and employers, labour inspectorates and the Finnish government.
	Sweden