NUPGE – National Day of Mourning – A Call to Protect Workers

Dandelion symbolizing remembrance and resilience in the face of loss

April 28 2025

“April 28 is the National Day of Mourning; it is a solemn occasion to remember all those who have lost their lives or suffered injury or illness due to work. We must ensure that all workers are properly protected and that occupational health and safety are the highest priority. NUPGE remembers those who have been harmed and continues to call for improved workplace safety and protection.” — Burt Blundon, NUPGE President

Ottawa (28 April 2025) ― Observed annually on April 28, the National Day of Mourning has become an international event with ceremonies in over 100 countries. The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) stands with workers as we mourn the dead and fight for the health and safety of the living. This year’s National Day of Mourning coincides with the Canadian federal election. Canada’s unions are urging voters to keep workers’ well-being in mind as they head to the polls.  

Invisible Workplace Hazards: Mental Health

The theme of this year’s National Day of Mourning, as promoted by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), is invisible hazards; a demand for urgent action to address not just visible workplace hazards, but also those that can’t be seen. The mental health toll of unsafe, under-resourced, or stressful work environments is real. The effects of exposure to hazardous substances and poor indoor air quality can also have lifelong impacts. Just because an injury or condition doesn’t leave physical scars, doesn’t mean they’re any less life-altering.  

Tragic number of fatalities and injuries

In 2023 alone, Canada saw 1,057  workplace fatalities and over 274,000 lost-time injury claims. These are not just numbers: they represent people whose lives were cut short or permanently altered. And these numbers only scratch the surface. Many more injuries and illnesses go unreported, unrecognized, and unsupported, especially when they are invisible. 

Young workers

Young workers are especially vulnerable. Many enter the workforce unaware of the risks that aren’t obvious, and these risks can lead to lasting harm. Every worker has the right to know the hazards to which they are being exposed. And every employer has the duty to provide a safe, healthy work environment. That includes protecting workers from invisible hazards and recognizing mental health injuries as valid and compensable. 

Defend our basic rights at work

The level of harm to which workers are subject reveals that we need to defend our basic rights at work. These are rights which are protected in health and safety statutes in every jurisdiction in Canada. Those basic rights are:

  • to be informed of hazards in the workplace and to receive the training to be able to do the job safely
  • to participate in decisions that could affect health and safety
  • to refuse work that could endanger health and safety or that of others. The right to refuse is not the first step to protect workers. This is a serious, sometimes necessary step that no worker takes lightly
  • to be free from reprisal for exercising any of the other rights or health and safety requirements.

A call to action

This National Day of Mourning is a time to reflect on the state of worker protection and it is a critical moment to highlight our concerns. It is also an opportunity to press governments, employers and regulators to better protect workers.

Every year on April 28th, thousands of workers, friends and families of fallen workers gather at events across the country to show solidarity with those injured and killed on the job. Here is a list of ceremonies taking place on the National Day of Mourning.

The fight for worker protection and safety is ongoing. We must learn the lessons from this pandemic and make the changes necessary to improve worker safety, reform our health care system and prevent future workplace injuries and death across all sectors and workplaces.