April 28 marked a national Day of Mourning with the province honouring Manitoba workers lost to acute hazards and occupational illnesses in 2014.
“In 2014, we lost 13 workers to acute hazards in our province and another 13 workers to occupational illnesses,” said Minister of Labour and Immigration Erna Braun. “Today’s Day of Mourning reminds us that an injury to one is truly an injury to us all, and our work as a province is not done until we get each and every worker home safe at the end of the workday.”
SAFE Workers of Tomorrow held its annual Leaders’ Walk which began at Union Centre on Broadway and concluded at the Manitoba Legislative Building. The theme for the event was ‘New and Vulnerable Workers’.
“Our theme of ‘New and Vulnerable Workers’ was chosen to bring greater awareness to the challenges and barriers faced by those new to the Canadian workforce, including language and cultural differences that can place new workers at a greater risk of tragic workplace incidents,” said Peter Reimer, Executive Director of SAFE Workers of Tomorrow.
This year’s Day of Mourning Leader’s Walk concluded with an event at the Manitoba Legislature Building which included attendance from high school students from across the city and highlight videos created by the student winners of the 2015 SAFE Schools Grant contest. The contest invited students to submit their ideas for promoting safety in classrooms and schools.
“The WCB’s vision to be a trusted partner, insuring today and building a safer tomorrow, means that we are committed to making our province safer for all workers,” said Michael Werier, WCB Chairperson. “Unfortunately our staff know all too well the pain and suffering of those affected by workplace injuries and deaths and this makes us all the more determined to work with our partners to create a future free from these preventable tragedies.”
