This is the day when we remember those who have died, been injured, or been made ill by their work and make sure that such tragic loss and suffering is used to reinvigorate the campaign for healthier and safer work.

The Campaign Slogan is ‘Remember the dead, fight for the living’.

Society does not find domestic violence or drink-driving acceptable and people don’t complain about a ‘nanny state’ because the law requires seat belts to be fitted and worn in cars.  The same however can not be said regarding work related injury, ill health and death.

UNISON is working to ensure that work-related harm is not just seen as a tragic but accepted part of the world of work.  Behind every statistic there is a tragedy affecting the victims, their families, friends and colleagues.

Work ‘accidents’ cause up to 1,600 deaths every year.  These include work related suicide, road accidents while driving for work and members of the public killed by someone else’s work.

And when you add in as many as 50,000 deaths from work-related illnesses – including cancers, respiratory illnesses and heart disease – these numbers are way too high.

This loss is even more tragic because 70 per cent of workplace ‘accidents’ could be avoided if health and safety was managed properly.

At noon on 28th April, UNISON will hold a minute’s silence, when we will remember all those who have been harmed through their work.  And we are asking everyone to observe the minute of silence with us.

UNISON believes that there needs to be a cultural change in the way work-related deaths, injuries and ill health are seen by employers, the public and the government.  Once society sees them as not just tragic but as being totally unacceptable, we can then expect more employers to take health and safety seriously.

This year is the first year that the UK government will formally recognise Workers’ Memorial Day as a national day of remembrance, thereby joining many other countries across the world.  However, achieving official recognition does not mean that the job is done.  Workers’ Memorial Day and official recognition are a means to an end – raising awareness of the importance of health and safety and to campaign for safer and healthier work.