International Workers Memorial Day (IWMD) takes place every year on 28th of April.

All around the world citizens and governments commemorate those who have died due to deaths, injuries or disease related to their work. Numbers of fatalities far greater than any war.

This year those who have died from work related to the Covid19 pandemic will be commemorated with a 1 minute silence  at 11am #NeverForgotten #IWMD20.

There are some permanent memorials to those who have died due to their work but many will remain unknown and this day provides an opportunity for all of us worldwide to remember every one of them.

Piper Alpha Memorial (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Angusmclellan)

There is a website page which lists many of the memorials : Permanent Memorials to Workers

Some of those killed were volunteer workers.

Longhope Memorial Credit: N Morrison

“Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living” Mary Harris Jones

Workers’ Memorial Day was started by the Canadian Union of Public Employees in 1984. In 1991, the Canadian Parliament passed an Act respecting a National Day of Mourning for persons killed or injured in the workplace, making April 28 an official Workers’ Mourning Day. It is now an international day of remembrance. WMD

No one knows how many people die around the world as a result of their work – one estimate puts it at 2 million. This year it has been brought into sharp focus as we see those frontline workers dealing with the covid19 pandemic falling ill with many of them dying. Tens of thousands are thought to have died from work related to the virus.

The STUC (Scottish Trade Union Congress) has an online tribute starting at 10.20am . If you would like to join this click here: Register for the STUC online tribute at 10.30am on Tuesday 28 April. 

For people on social media they can also attach a twibbon to their profile pic: Twibbon Workers Memorial Day

Flags will be flown at half mast at public buildings.

Reporter: Fiona Grahame