International Day of Mourning

This morning UnionsACT/ WorkWatch hosted the International Day of Mourning (IDM) ceremony at our premises in Mitchell. For those who don't know, IDM is a day where we remember those who have lost their lives on workplaces worldwide.

Every year in Australia, between 200 and 300 people go to work in the morning and don't go home that night - they die on the job. That doesn't include the 5,000 to 8,000 people who die because of a long term work related illness, disease or other illness or the 600,000 people injured while on the job each year.

And that's just Australia. Imagine how many people world-wide fail to go home each day to those they love and who love them because of a work related death or injury.

Below is the address given by the Reverend Gordon Ramsay from the Kippax Uniting Church. I am publishing it in full - but in this simple address is a major message that none of us should ignore.

There is a simple quote in a book that is common across 3 major faiths -
In Islam the book is known as Zabur,
In Judaism, it is known as Tehilla,
In Christianity it is known as Psalms
and the quote from the book has been taken by 4 people
who themselves have their own spiritual following around the world - U2

For many years, when U2 ended a concert, they would sing a song
drawn from this common heritage from across many faiths,
they would invite the audience to join in
and then leave the stage, with the audience continuing to sing.
The quote was very simple:
“How long?”

As we gather here to observe International Workers Memorial Day
there is something deep within each of us –
whatever our faith, religious or cultural background may be -
that is called to join in the cry.
“How long?”

We are here because we have lost family, friends and colleagues
to incidents in the workplace and we feel numb
And in our numbness we want to cry out
“How long?”

We are here because we have lost family and friends
to incidents in the workplace and we feel numb
And in our numbness we want to cry out
“How long?”

We are here because our colleagues have been injured and killed
and we feel an emptiness and an anger
that workplace deaths in Australia have increased since 2004
not just in overall numbers, but even in the rates of deaths
and in our emptiness and anger we want to cry out
“How long?”

We are here because we are part of a worldwide community
and we are aware of unsafe work practices –
such as the recent Chinese mine flood -
that result in the deaths of over 2 million workers each year
And in our solidarity with people across the world,
we want to cry out
“How long?”

International Workers Memorial Day is a day that should not be needed.
In this day and age there should simply be no need
for us to be gathering so that there would be better action
to guarantee safe work practices – especially in Australia and in the ACT.
We know that it is simply not good enough

And International Workers Memorial Day is a day that is absolutely essential.
It reminds us of our common humanity
and that we share an obligation to each other to move beyond “How long?”
To “This is long enough!”

It reminds us that in the discussions regarding people at work
we are not talking about “human resources”
in the way we talk about “Material resources” or “financial resources”
We are talking about people – with parents, partners, children and friends

International Workers Memorial Day reminds us that as a community
the cost of ensuring safe and secure work place and practices
is always less than the cost of the injuries and deaths that occur.

Let me quote briefly from a statement from my own tradition – the Uniting Church in Australia:
We believe that all human beings are created by God and are intrinsically valuable.
This means that all people should be treated with respect.
Respect also involves the conditions we offer PEOPLE at work.
When we ignore occupational health and safety standards,
we are not merely breaking the law – we are denying the value of human life.

And in that vein, let me finish with a reminder of just why
the International Workers Memorial Day is so necessary:
because we are here to stand together in the grief of the families and friends
who have lost loved ones.

We are here to hold their hands, to offer a shoulder to lean on
and to provide emotional and material means of support
to those whose hopes, dreams and plans in life
can never be realised in the same way now.

We pause,
we remember,
we offer our love, our dedication and determination.

To the question “How long?”
The answer will always be: “For as long as it takes”

Gordon Ramsay
28 April 2010
Canberra ACT