Workers' Memorial Day had been observed by Canada on April 28 for several years prior to its first observance in the United States on April 28, 1989, when it gained widespread popularity.
Workers’ Memorial Day is a global holiday observed annually on April 28. It is observed to raise awareness of the significance of workplace safety and to honour those who have lost their lives due to work-related illnesses and those whose lives have been placed on hold due to work-related injuries. According to statistics, the number of persons killed on the job exceeds those killed in wars and by drug abuse combined! Labour unions across the globe observe this day to honour their deceased heroes and discuss workplace safety measures.
Workers’ Memorial Day had been observed by Canada on April 28 for several years prior to its first observance in the United States on April 28, 1989, when it gained widespread popularity. Perhaps the unpopularity of Canada’s first observance is attributable to the fact that it was celebrated under a different, though similar, appellation. The day was inspired by the signature of the Occupational Safety and Health Act into law in 1970 and the establishment of OSHA on April 28, 1971.
In the early years following the enactment of OSHA, North America was the epicentre of Workers’ Memorial Day celebrations. The holiday did not gain international recognition until the latter half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. In 1985, the Canadian Labour Congress designated April 28 as an annual day of remembrance, commemorating the signing of the Workers’ Compensation Act in 1914. Progressively, the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisation (A.F.L.-C.I.O.) designated April 28 as Workers’ Memorial Day to commemorate the tens of thousands of individuals who have been maimed or killed on the job. The United Kingdom held a similar commemoration in 1992.
Since the International Labour Organisation (I.L.O.’s) adoption of the holiday in 2001, many countries now actively observe it, with some deeming it appropriate to designate it as a public holiday. Additionally, to add value to the holiday, beginning in 1996, annual themes were assigned to each year’s celebration.
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Canada was the first nation to recognise it, albeit under a different but comparable moniker.
Initially, the event was well-known but not as popular as it later became.
It was not widely recognised until the United States marked it.
Numerous national labour unions in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and other regions observe it.
In contrast to other nations, Gibraltar observes this day as a government-free public holiday.
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | April 28 | Friday |
| 2024 | April 28 | Sunday |
| 2025 | April 28 | Monday |
| 2026 | April 28 | Tuesday |
| 2027 | April 28 | Wednesday |
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