(Montreal) About a hundred people gathered Sunday morning in Montreal to mark Memorial Day for People Dead or Injured at Work.
The event, organized by the Quebec Federation of Workers (FTQ), aimed to pay tribute to the 210 people who died in 2023 following a work accident or illness, without forgetting the approximately 114,000 others having suffered an occupational injury.
To mark what the FTQ describes as a “day of mourning”, participants were invited to wear a symbolic black ribbon. White carnations were also distributed to the crowd, made up of workers from all sectors and their families.
The procession began its march in front of city hall and wandered through the streets to the Old Port, where a young 22-year-old worker lost his life in 2021. A minute of silence was observed in his honor.
The construction industry was once again the most affected in 2023 with 32% of deaths, all trades combined, although this sector of activity only represents 8% of all workers in Quebec. Diseases linked to exposure to asbestos remain the largest cause of mortality with 52 deaths.
This statistic greatly worries Simon Lévesque, responsible for health and safety at FTQ-Construction, which brings together nearly 90,000 people.
“Once again this year, the figures show it: construction is the deadliest industry in Quebec. Lives are being destroyed, this is unacceptable! This must stop once and for all,” he said in a statement.
Mr. Lévesque believes that employers are mainly responsible.
Bosses claim that health and safety are important to them, but year after year, the results are as tragic as ever, he lamented. The bosses do not take their responsibilities and the impacts are immense. All this for profit, efficiency and productivity. When will we really turn things around?
Simon Lévesque, health and safety manager at FTQ-Construction
The general secretary of the FTQ, Denis Bolduc, who participated in a rally in front of the National Assembly on Sunday, also denounced the situation. “Prevention remains at the heart of our demands, but the lack of manpower pushes employers and the government to want to cut corners, thus putting Quebec workers at risk. This is what we see in the construction sector. Instead of aiming to improve the situation, lives are being sacrificed. This is unacceptable. »
In the hope of curbing the trend, new protection mechanisms were put in place in 2023 by the FTQ-Construction in order to meet the needs of the reform of the Act respecting health and safety at work (LSST).
She believes that these measures will have a positive impact, but agrees that “it is still too early to assess the added value”.
Earlier this week, a man died at the Port of Montreal following a work accident at the Viau maritime terminal, northeast of downtown. The Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST) has opened an investigation.