Statement from Andrea Horwath on the National Day of Mourning
QUEEN’S PARK, ON — The Leader of the Official Opposition, Andrea Horwath, released the following statement, to mark this year’s National Day of Mourning:
“On today’s National Day of Mourning, New Democrats across the province honour the memories of all workers who have been killed as a result of a workplace hazard or occupational exposure. We acknowledge the hardships faced by workers who have been injured, or have suffered an illness, as a result of unsafe workplace conditions. And we think of the pain and loss families feel when a loved one doesn’t come home safely from work.
Every year in Ontario, hundreds of workers are killed in the workplace, or die from a work-related illness or injury. A single worker killed on the job is too many. Workplace injuries and deaths are preventable.
Every Ontarian has the right to earn a living in a workplace that is safe, and every worker deserves the best protection and prevention. That includes part-time, temporary and precarious workers.
The NDP is committed to improving occupational health and safety regulations, and to guaranteeing proper enforcement of these regulations. We’re committed to working with unions, employers, OHS experts and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board to improve workplace conditions in Ontario, eliminate workplace incidents and provide support for victims of workplace illness and injury, including those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Today, we remember and mourn the workers killed on the job, and commit to continuing to fight for the rights and protections of the living.”
