Nova Scotians will remember and pay tribute to 29 workers today, April 28, who lost their lives on the job in 2008, at ceremonies across the province to mark the National Day of Mourning.

Minister of Labour and Workforce Development Mark Parent, and Rick Clarke, president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour will attend the Day of Mourning ceremony today at Province House.

"The Day of Mourning is an opportunity for all of us to remember and pay respect to all of those who lost their lives on the job. It is a day to show our compassion for the suffering experienced by the victims, their families, friends, and colleagues," said Mr. Parent.

Each year on April 28, government and labour leaders join friends and family members to remember those workers killed or injured on the job, and to renew their commitment to protecting the health and safety of workers in Nova Scotia.

"As we mourn for the victims, there is a collective responsibility of business, labour and government to take up the challenge, commitment and responsibility to fight for the living, providing them with healthy and safe workplaces, said Mr. Clarke.

According to the Workers' Compensation Board, 31,753 employees reported on-the-job injuries in Nova Scotia in 2008. The total of lost-time claims in 2008 was 8,050. This represents a decrease of 2.2 per cent from 2007. Health, social services, manufacturing and retail industries had the most lost-time accident claims in 2008.

"The Department of Labour and Workforce Development continues to make occupational health and safety a priority. We are committed to working with employers and employees throughout Nova Scotia to make it the safest province in Canada to live, work and raise a family." said Mr. Parent.

The Day of Mourning was started by the Canadian Labour Congress in 1984, as a day to honour the dead and remember the living. The ceremony has spread across Canada and to more than 80 countries around the world.

For more information on occupational health and safety in Nova Scotia and how to protect yourself at work, see the department's website at www.gov.ns.ca/lwd/healthandsafety. For more information on the Day of Mourning please visit www.dayofmourning.ns.ca.

Media Contacts:

Heather Mizzi
Labour and Workforce Development
902-424-0281
E-mail: mizzihe@gov.ns.ca

Rick Clarke
Nova Scotia Federation of Labour
902-424-4063