The following statement was issued today by Joan Burke, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

National Day of Mourning

As my honourable colleagues are aware, today, April 28, is designated as a National Day of Mourning for workers killed or injured on the job. I rise today to recognize the victims of workplace accidents and remember their sacrifice.

In 1984, the Canadian Labour Congress officially designated a day every year in observance of people killed or hurt at work. April 28 was chosen because this was the day that third reading took place for the first comprehensive Workers� Compensation Act in Canada back in 1914.

Since 1984, the labour movement in our province and across the country has made great strides in raising awareness of the importance of safety on the job. The numbers speak for themselves and reflect the need to draw attention to this issue. It is estimated there are about one million workplace injuries a year in Canada. Deaths from workplace injuries average nearly a thousand a year. Through the work of the CLC and other members of the labour movement, provincial and federal governments now officially recognize the Day of Mourning. Their work has led to improvements in health and safety standards at many work sites, resulting in a decrease in new injuries and incident rates. However, we must continue to build on the improvements that have been made.

According to the CLC, the aim of the Day of Mourning is to remember the commitment to �fight for the living� as well as �mourn the dead�. I ask that my honourable colleagues join me in a moment of silence to observe this very significant day for the labour movement.

2004 04 28                                         2:15 p.m.