Workers Around the World Remember Those Killed on the Job

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/04/28/workers-around-the-world-remember-those-killed-on-the-job/

Workers Around the World Remember Those Killed on the Job

by James Parks, Apr 28, 2007

Around the world today, working men and women will remember the thousands killed and millions more injured or diseased because of their jobs. Today is Workers Memorial Day, a time to honor those who died at work and to act to make our workplaces safer.

Workers, elected officials, and religious and community leaders will participate in 12,000 activities in 118 countries to bring attention to the unfulfilled promise of safe and healthy workplaces. They also will stress the importance of strengthening workers’ rights to overcome barriers to health and safety across the world.

“If trade union rights are respected everywhere, the number of deaths and injuries related to work will certainly fall significantly,” says Guy Ryder, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, which represents 168 million workers in 153 countries and territories.



In the United States, health and safety advocates will focus on the Bush administration’s troubling workplace safety record, including cutting funds for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and reducing its enforcement of safety rules. (Check out Bush’s record at our BushWatch website.)

The administration’s proposed fiscal year 2008 budget for worker safety and health programs provides $490 million for OSHA, which, adjusting for inflation, represents a $25 million cut since Bush took office. OSHA enforcement staffing levels have been cut from 1,683 positions to 1,543, and staffing for development of safety and health standards has decreased from 100 positions to 83. To inspect each U.S. workplace, it would take OSHA 133 years with its current number of inspectors.

FULL story at link.