Mr. Speaker, according to the Canadian Labour Congress bulletin on health and safety in the work place, one thousand workers die annually as a result of accidents in the work place, and another million are injured, while thousands more die of diseases caused by toxic substances used in the work place or as a result of various other problems in their job environment.
The Bloc Quebecois, the Official Opposition, wishes to join in this national and international day of mourning in honour of those men and women who died on the job or as a result of an accident or a disease contracted in the work place.
Speaking on behalf the Official Opposition, I must point out that although the actual number of accidents has declined, the situation is far from ideal. In fact, many job related diseases have not yet been recognized as such and are therefore not included in these figures.
It is also true that the work place is changing, and as we have seen in the past, each new generation of technologies brings with it new diseases and accidents. The same is true today. Unfortunately, unlike other periods before the second world war, the labour movement is not on the rise and is experiencing difficulties in certain areas and even receding in certain cases. That is why governments have an even greater obligation not only to improve legislation but also its implementation.
Because of the pressures of globalization, there is an increasing tendency to fragment the work place and have jobs done by companies whose labour practices are irresponsible. This means that we as parliamentarians must remain alert. Only political will and social commitment will be able to stop these terrible and unacceptable effects of the job environment. We are concerned about the problems of the unemployed, but we cannot ignore those who, because of current pressures in the work place, must work under conditions that may lead to loss of life or loss of physical or mental well-being.