Campaigns

INTERNATIONAL WORKERS' MEMORIAL DAY 2007

Background Information for International Workers’ Memorial Day

International Workers' Memorial Day (IWMD) is a day to remember those who have lost their lives at or by work. It is also intended to strengthen our resolve to reduce risks and protect people from injury in the workplace. Every year more people are killed at work than in wars. The International Labour Organization (ILO) reported that 2.2 million are killed, over 160 million become sick and over 1.2 million are injured each year, due to poor workplace safety. Each year, 12,000 children are killed on the job and hazardous substances kill 340,000 workers annually, while asbestos alone claims about 100,000 lives.

In 1980s, the labour movement in Canada started to campaign for the recognition of IWCMD. In 1989, the Canadian government finally recognized each 28 April as Memorial Day, to remember workers who are injured, become sick or killed for doing their jobs. Since then, other countries followed to recognize it, some even wrote it into law, as a workers’ memorial day. In 1996, the United National gave it the title as an international day, with the vision to make it well recognized by the whole world.

The Campaign for Recognition in Hong Kong

Since 1996, local labour groups and trade unions, spearheaded by the Hong Kong Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims have participated in the International Memorial Day - rallies and victims' protests take place every year. Local artists have hosted an exhibition of their designs of the monument for the OSH victims. Labour groups have been pressuring the Hong Kong SAR government to recognize the International Memorial Day and improve work safety and the compensation & rehabilitation schemes for victims of industrial accidents and illness in Hong Kong.  In 2005, some 200 workers lay outside the Science Museum, to remind the public that for constructing the needs of society, many workers had fallen and would never be able to get up again. Last year, we marched to the headquarters of the government, to make sure our voice was heard.

As early as in 1960s, the colonial government built a stone monument by the locally famous High Land Reservoir, to pay tribute to builders who were killed during the construction of the reservoir. The current government however has refused to put up similar monuments. After years of campaigning, the government installed a small plaque for Occupational Safety and Health & Work Injuries, inside the Museum of Science, during a low profile ceremony. Many local groups feel that such a location, scale and setting of the monument is inadequate to commemorate the many dead and injured in Hong Kong.  However the Hong Kong SAR government continues to ignore the campaign, even after the SARS outbreak in 2003, when many of the workers involved (such as medical workers and cleaners) lost their lives at the workplace due to poor protection mechanisms.

This year, labour groups and trade unions continue to campaign for IWMD. On 23 April, they held a forum and photo exhibition in Mongkok, the busiest area in Hong Kong, to remind the public of the forthcoming Memorial Day. On 28 April, together with victims, they will march from Charter Garden to the Hong Kong SAR Government headquarters to hand in their statement.

Pictures of the IWMD activities in the previous years:

2003 – a vigil in Charter Garden                                       2004 – March to the HK SAR Government
 

2005 – a memorial ceremony outside the Science Museum    2006 – a memorial ceremony in Charter Garden