VICTORIA -- Tuesday, April 28, marks International Day of Mourning. It’s a day when people from across Canada and B.C. come together to remember workers who have lost their lives on the job.
Last year, 140 people in B.C. – and an additional 1,000 people across our country – went to work and never made it home to their families at the end of the day.
This year, with the realities of COVID-19 on everyone’s mind, the day of mourning has a special importance for those working on the front lines of the pandemic.
“Right now, you’ll hear that a lot of people across this country’s biggest concern is there’s not enough personal protective equipment,” said Darlene Gallant, president of the Victoria Labour Council.
“So people are going to work without the proper tools they need, even during a pandemic, to stay safe.”
“We’re just saying, when this is all over, we need to remember stories like this because this is exactly what we need to be fighting for,” she said.
Due to physical distancing orders, all formal ceremonies in B.C. have been cancelled. In lieu of those ceremonies, the Victoria Labour Council is asking everyone to light a candle and post a photo of it to social media. In that post, the organization asks that you tag the Victoria Labour Council and #internationaldayofmourning2020.
Gallant says today is a way for the Labour Council to commit to continuing the fight for better wages, occupational health and safety regulations, and working to make sure everyone that goes to work gets to come home safe at the end of their shift.
During this pandemic, Gallant has a message for everyone to help keep our frontline workers safe.
“Stay home, social distance and if you don’t need to be going out, just don’t.”
Canada was the first country to formally commemorate workers killed in the workplace, back in 1984.
Today, it is recognized in 100 countries around the world.
