Minister of Labour and Social Policies, Marina Calderone, welcomed the European Commission's initiative, announced today by the EC Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, Roxana Minzatu, to establish a European day in remembrance of the victims of accidents at work and for the protection and dignity of workers, to be celebrated on the anniversary of the Marcinelle tragedy on 8 August.
Minzatu's announcement incorporates the proposal made by Minister Calderone on behalf of the Italian government on June 29 at the meeting of the EU's Employment and Social Policy Council, along with her Belgian and Hungarian colleagues and with the support of Germany, Malta, Romania, Spain, Croatia, Greece and Poland. The hope was for the Commission and Member States to support the establishment of the European Day in line with a similar request by the European Parliament.
Minister Calderone said "this year marks the 70th anniversary of the Marcinelle tragedy, an event that resulted in the death of workers from a number of different countries, all united by their commitment to the economic and social reconstruction of postwar Europe and therefore forming a part of Europe's collective memory". The establishment of a European day will strengthen the collective commitment "towards Vision Zero (no work-related deaths)", by validating and promoting the entire European legislative framework and "giving further impetus to the Union's collective action in order to ensure that work in Europe is always synonymous with dignity, safety and rights".