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The Italian Labor Union (UIL) staged a powerful demonstration in Rome’s Piazza del Popolo on Tuesday, displaying 1,041 cardboard coffins to symbolize the shocking number of annual work-related deaths in Italy last year.
The protest, titled “Zero Dead at Work,” raises public awareness about the urgency of stricter safety regulations and enforcement.
According to a report published by AFP, UIL General Secretary Pierpaolo Bombardini stresses that these work-related fatalities are preventable — stating that violations of safety standards turn accidents into homicides.
Based on Eurostat’s most recent statistics (from 2021) on workplace fatalities, it’s reported that Italy’s occupational death rate, at 3.17 per 100,000 workers. The figure surpasses the European average, with only a few Eastern European countries recording higher statistics.
The protest is not unique to Italy. Originally, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) launched a manifesto related to the UIL’s call to action. The European-wide “Zero Death at Work” initiative sets an ambitious goal to eliminate workplace fatalities by 2030 across the entire European Union.
The ETUC’s goal includes eliminating workers’ exposure to hazardous materials, improved pandemic preparedness, and prioritizing worker well-being in workplace design. The organization advocates for stricter legislation, collaboration between unions and employers, and enhanced training and enforcement mechanisms.
Both the UIL’s protest and the ETUC’s plans shed light on the importance of improved workplace safety measures across Europe. The global workforce is prioritizing the well-being of workers, and proactive programs like these are working to ensure no one loses their life simply by earning a living.
