Workers Memorial Day is the day where working people join together to mourn New Zealand workers and workers throughout the world who are injured, diseased or killed on the job. In New Zealand one worker a week is killed on the job every week, and thousands more injured.
It’s ironic that parliament is currently debating a weakening of the right of workers to rest breaks, when evidence shows that without proper breaks, workers have a greater risk of accidents.
At the same time, the government has been cutting workplace health and safety programmes and reducing entitlements to ACC.
So, today is indeed a day to mourn for the dead, but fight for the living!
What evidence do you have to qualify this statement?
“At the same time, the government has been cutting workplace health and safety programmes and reducing entitlements to ACC.”
@indiana -budget cuts to workplace health & safety training last year, recently criticised by both Business NZ and the CTU. Recent ACC bill enacted by National that does cut worker entitlements.
Thanks,
I had a look at media releases at both Business NZ’s and CTU’s website but cannot seem to find the one specifically criticising budget cuts. As my role works very closely with ACC and DOL it is difficult for me to share the same view that these departments have cut back any programmes, in fact I believe they have increased them and are doing much better at building relationships with employers. Still 1 death a week is unacceptable.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2010/04/06/1247fd901379
This says that one worker is killed every week on the job. This does seem very high – 52 Workers killed every year. It may be true (for example the tragic example this week includes the helicoptor crash on ANZAC Day) – but where is this sourced from and what is the definition. Sorry to doubt you – but usually work place deaths make the news and there certainly does not seem to be one per week.
Or is this just typical politicing and exageration by the Union and Labour?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/workplace-accidents/news/headlines.cfm?c_id=664
This link might help you Monty- how about doing some research before talking rubbish? And check out the Minister’s own statements on the issue of workplace deaths.
Remember the 40 hour week? Where did that go. I don’t remember it being an election issue.
Stealth.
A incremental shifting of current practice and before long what you though you had is gone.
Cycles.
Early last century farm workers in NZ worked 7 days a week with a couple of hour off on Sunday to attend church IF one was close enough for that. Days of work were that, and 12 hours outside of meals were a common expectation. No compensation for injury just charity if you wee lucky.
All gains for the worker were fought for and hard won.
To be ever vigilant is not paranoia but common sense.
The problem is todays workplace looks different and small losses are tolerated.
Degeneration of conditions is a very serious concern.
Monty the figure is more like 100 a year. The focus on the Airforce tragedy is perpetuating the idea that these kinds of deaths on the job are rare. I understand the desire by the ariforce to honour their own however is the PM going to go to the funeral of all people killed in workplaces who directly or indirectly are employed by the Government?
More people are killed each year at work than are murdered. Fact.
And we don’t really know the numbers of workers killed on the roads – estimates are that 2 out of every 7 road deaths are work-related, so that puts the numbers right up.