In a moving ceremony on the morning of Tuesday 28th April a large group gathered at Argyle Square in Carlton to acknowledge the workers who have died at, or as a result of, their work. Along with union members and government representatives, the families, friends and co-workers of those people killed or injured at work came together to remember and honour them, and to recommit to stand together to make changes to ensure that no-one else suffers the same fate.
The event opened with speeches from VTHC leaders Wil Stracke and Luke Hilakari, followed by Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and the CEO of WorkSafe Cathy Henderson.
Premier Allan committed to invest an extra $13.7 million to keep workers safe, deliver more workplace injury prevention and better support people to return to work. Twenty extra WorkSafe inspectors will also be recruited to target five of the most dangerous industries for workers: construction, health care and social assistance, public sector, agriculture, and manufacturing, and WorkSafe will issue more on-the-spot fines for unsafe workplaces.
The final speaker of the event, Lana Cormie, delivered a deeply moving speech sharing her family’s experiences with workplace death.
Lana lost her husband Charlie in a trench collapse at work in 2018 – an incident that also claimed the life of Charlie’s young workmate Jack Brownlee. Following the devastation of her family’s loss Lana stepped up and played a pivotal role in the campaign for workplace manslaughter laws, and as a member and co-chair of the Workplace Incidents Consultative Committee she has gone on to fight for stronger protections for the families of deceased workers as well as for those injured at work.
Lana spoke of the ongoing pain and injustice faced by families like hers, along with the families of the 700 further Victorian workers who have suffered preventable deaths at work in since her husband’s death, and she called for a resolution of the systemic failures of our safety systems and laws.
Lana reminded us that “Our OHS Act was written in the blood of dead and injured workers, through the advocacy of their families and their Unions. The Objects of the Act require that the safety of workers be secured by their employers who must provide the highest level of protection. To achieve this, we must use the Act to its fullest effect.” She called for commitment from government to reform a culture that currently allows workers to be killed as a “cost of doing business”, demanding full enforcement of the OHS Act and for the regulator to “act like a police force, not a consultant”.
Following Lana’s speech Wil Stracke recited the details of the 60 individuals killed at work over the past twelve months. With heavy hearts volunteers carried 60 pairs of boots to be placed in formation to represent those lost. A minute of silence was observed under the gentle autumn sunshine, with leaves falling softly. The Trade Union Choir sang in the background as a procession of attendees laid wreaths to honour the fallen.
No one should ever go to work and not come home. No one.
And as unionists, it is our shared responsibility to stand up – for ourselves, for each other, and for those who can no longer speak for themselves.
To fight for strong worker representation to ensure workers have a genuine voice in their workplaces, including around health and safety.
To fight like hell for the living.
Watch the ceremony here