National Day of Mourning will look different this year
No ceremonies permitted, but Canadians urged to honour this special day
Canadians began officially observing the National Day of Mourning in 1991 as a way to pay their respects to those who have been killed, injured or suffered illness as a result of work-related incidents.
Since then, the Day of Mourning has spread to more than 100 countries around the world.
But for the first time since then, April 28 will not be marked with ceremonies taking place in towns and cities across the country. COVID-19 restrictions will be keeping people in their homes, preventing them from coming together to mourn.
“Folks can’t be together in the traditional way, but we still want people to be observing the Day of Mourning,” says Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “These are not normal times, and we need to act accordingly.”
The Canadian Labour Congress is the largest labour organization in Canada, bringing together dozens of national and international unions, provincial and territorial federations of labour and community-based labour councils to represent more than three million workers across the country.
Instead of gathering in person, the Canadian Labour Congress is requesting a different kind of tribute this year. On the evening of Tuesday, April 28, Yussuff is asking for Canadians to please light a candle to commemorate the Day of Mourning safely in their own homes.
The Canadian Labour Congress will also be ramping up this year’s online efforts, providing shareable graphics in order to remind people of the important efforts that must be taken to prevent illness and loss of life in the workplace.
“None of us want to think we’re going to work to get injured or die, but that’s still happening far too frequently in this country,” says Yussuff. “Don’t think you’re invincible.”
Workplacenl is reporting that Newfoundland and Labrador experienced 26 work-related fatalities in 2019 — 10 accidental and 16 from occupational disease.
In 2019, 44 per cent of the occupational disease fatality claims were from the mining industry. Workplacenl reports that these tragedies relate to exposures to harmful substances that mostly happened from the 1950s to 1980s — and that safe work practices, mandatory safety training and regulations have improved since then.
Over the past five years, 124 workers in Newfoundland and Labrador have lost their lives as result of workplace incidents or occupational disease.
Yussuff says most statistics on workplace deaths only represent compensable deaths — not the actual number of deaths caused by workplace sickness, injury or accidents. Many workers are exposed to carcinogens in their workplace over time, which leads to deaths from work-related cancers that aren’t always “counted.”
He says more than 1,000 Canadians died from workplace-related issues in 2018, and that number — sadly — has been pretty consistent since the Day of Mourning began.
“The number sometimes drops below 1,000, but it always hovers around there despite improved laws and the enforcement of these laws,” says Yussuff. “That statistic remains far too high for the size of our workforce.”
Dennis Hogan, CEO of Workplacenl, is encouraging everyone to keep health and safety top of mind both at work and at home — and follow the advice of public health authorities as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic — so we can help workers return home healthy and safe to their loved ones at the end of their day.
“As we remember those who have been killed or injured on the job, we also recognize essential workers at the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. Workers in health care, grocery stores, transportation and other essential services continue to work every day in order to provide muchneeded goods, services and supports to our communities,” says Hogan. “We owe it to them to do our part to help keep them safe and healthy.”
Yussuff agrees the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has meant there’s special emphasis this year on the health and safety of front-line workers, whether it’s healthcare professionals or people working in grocery stores, pharmacies and transportation sectors.
“If you were to tell me two years ago that bus drivers and grocery store cashiers need masks to do their job safely, I probably would have scratched my head — but this is the reality now,” says Yussuff. “Those who have to go to work need to be allowed to do it safely, without putting their lives at risk.”
“None of us want to think we’re going to work to get injured or die, but that’s still happening far too frequently in this country. Don’t think you’re invincible.”
Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress
Since many jobs require contact with the public, Yussuff says it’s critical to increase our efforts to make sure these employees have PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to do their work safely. Employees, he says, also must understand they have “fundamental rights to refuse unsafe work” and to know if there’s an infection in their workplace.
“Employers, unions and Occupational Health & Safety committees need to be vigilant, but workers need to remember they’re responsible for speaking up if they identify a potential danger,” says Yussuff. “It’s like how you wouldn’t drive down the highway if you knew something might be wrong with your vehicle because it could cause an accident. You would take your vehicle to a garage to have it checked out.”
Yussuff says many employers have “done the best they could” given the circumstances, such as installing plexiglass barriers to separate cashiers from customers. He believes some of these measures will remain in place until a COVID-19 vaccine is available, and others may be considered “the new normal” from here on out.
“In order to protect our health — and the health of our families, friends and co-workers — we all need to be observing the guidelines our health officials have put in place,” says Yussuff. “We need to be keeping our distance, washing our hands and ensuring we’re doing everything we can to prevent the spread of the virus.”
He says it’s more important than ever before for employers to do regular workplace assessments, especially if their employees are interacting with the public, to see what safety measures can be improved — whether that’s bringing in additional hand sanitizer, implementing more deepcleanings or running through their Health & Safety practices at the beginning of each shift.
“The reality is that we don’t know what the end game is to prevent the spread of this virus and keep our workers safe,” says Yussuff. “We must all work together and follow every necessary precaution.”