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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-05-02 Daily Xml
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International Workers' Memorial Day

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (15:32): International Workers' Memorial Day is acknowledged around the world on 28 April. It is a day of remembrance and action for workers who die, are disabled, are injured or become unwell through their work. On Monday, more than 200 people gathered at the Pilgrim Uniting Church in Flinders Street for the memorial service organised by the Voice of Industrial Death (VOID).

Anyone who has ever attended this annual event will, I am sure, support me when I say it is an emotional service—very sad, with a candle burning bright for each life lost to a workplace death or illness. When a worker leaves home, their loved ones expect them to safely return at the end of their working day. They expect to have their daily and life plans fulfilled, their hopes and dreams come true. Sadly, this is not the case for almost 200 Australian families each year whose loved one is no longer with them. As one family member of a worker who lost his life in the workplace explained:

There is no looking forward to their return at the end of the working day, no weekend to look forward to—all there is is a place missing at the table every day, and at Christmas, birthdays and other family celebrations.

He's missed at our children's school graduations, on the sidelines at their footy and netball…you never get over it…and I worry about the safety of our children with their after school and weekend jobs. I will never forget and I will never stop worrying.

Workers' Memorial Day has become an annual reminder that we cannot and should never ignore the importance of workplace safety.

I would like to acknowledge here the important work carried out by trade and professional unions and associations in recognition of the dangers in the workplace and advocating for their members across the many workplaces here in South Australia, with the sole aim of keeping them safe so that at the end of their shift they return safely home. I know, for these unions, their job is not always easy, that they take their worries about doing their job successfully home with them at the end of each day. So, today, for each of our unions that plays a significant role in workers' health and safety, to each industrial officer and organiser, I thank you.

Workers' Memorial Day coincides with World Day for Safety and Health at Work. It recognises the dangers and provides an opportunity for loved ones, friends and workmates to acknowledge the importance of each life lost. The work of the not-for-profit organisation, Voice of Industrial Death, often referred to as VOID, gives a voice to the victims of largely avoidable workplace fatalities in Australia every year. As its name suggests, it recognises the void left in the lives of the many families, friends and workmates of those who are no longer with us.

The grief and trauma experienced by workmates who may have actually witnessed a fatal workplace incident does not end on the day. As one friend explained, it stays with you always. Its impact can be dire. It can lead to no longer being able to attend the workplace, so you throw in your job. You cannot sleep. You replay it over and over in your mind. And you come to rely on medication, first to get some rest and then to get through the day.

In addition to those whose lives are lost each year in Australia, a further 2,000 die from workplace-initiated related conditions, including mental health, cancer, asbestosis, respiratory illness and circulatory diseases. Others develop serious health conditions, including eczema, hearing or sight loss. But it does not stop there. Each year, another 125,000 people are seriously injured, with injuries that can impact their ability to work or work at their chosen career. Our government understands this and has legislated to create safer workplaces.

Most employers do the right thing and make sure they follow occupational health and safety guidelines, but for those who choose not to, those that are not considering workplace safety, their negligence can result in life changing and sometimes life-ending outcomes. That is why the industrial manslaughter bill passed in this place should serve as a stern warning to any employer who ignores workplace safety that leads to death in the workplace as a result of reckless or grossly negligent conduct.

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