Workers Memorial Day - EU Commission President Barroso complicit as workers keep dying

(24 April 2014) Every year workers and their trade unions remember the many thousands world wide that die in workplace accidents each year. We remember those workers that die of occupational diseases. Many of these accidents and deaths because of diseases can be prevented by appropriate laws, controls and sanctions. And while we remember the workers that have died, we also recall those who are responsible for putting pressure on workers to work unsafely, our employers, and those politicians that support the employers such as Commission President Barroso. He is complicit in many of these deaths and diseases by not actively pursuing a European health and safety strategy.

The European Commission has been been driving a framework of health and safety legislation that has addressed many risks to workers health and safety in the eighties and nineties of the last century. It prevented many accidents and diseases. But Barroso stopped this. Following pressure from conservative parties and employers he regards health and safety regulations as administrative burdens that hinder companies pursuing profits. And he does not want to have any new ones. The European trade union health and safety magazine already saw his first period as Commission President being one of 5 years stand still.
In his second period he has continued this, culminating in his proposals for the REFIT programme that actively weakens health and safety protection.

He supported austerity programmes that cut back public spending and public service jobs, also in labour inspectorates as an EPSU report indicates. These are the folks that control if employers respect their obligations. Less of them, means less controls and more accidents. He is also steadfastly refusing to propose a new health and safety programme for the EU.

With a more progressive and active European Commission more accidents and diseases could have been avoided. EPSU has therefore called for a more people's friendly public administration, away from the excessive focus on the needs of businesses. Strengthening labour inspectorates and an active health and safety policy are part of what needs to be a reorientation for the EU.

And this day, 28 April is also a day to remember the hard work of the many thousands of union activists that are improving and enforcing health and safety. Union organisation is the remedy to demand of employers that our lives are not seen as a commodity and to impose that prevention is the only cure to accidents and occupational diseases.

- For more information on the actions that take place across the world
- For more information on the work of the European trade unions
- For more information on the European Agency for occupational safety and health for example regarding the health sector
- For the PSI Statement on the International Workers' Memorial Day