MEPs have backed a call to designate 8 August as a European day in remembrance of people killed or harmed by workplace accidents and occupational diseases.
The proposed date would be named the European Day in Remembrance of the Victims of Accidents at Work and for the Protection and Dignity of Workers, the European Parliament said.
The text was endorsed by 395 votes in favour, 12 against and 41 abstentions.
MEPs linked the proposed date to the 8 August 1956 disaster at the Bois du Cazier mine in Marcinelle, Belgium, where 262 miners died.
New figures included in the Parliament’s statement put the number of fatal workplace accidents in the EU at 3,298 in 2023, alongside around 2.8 million non-fatal accidents that led to at least four days off work.
Calls on AI, heat and workplace checks
MEPs also called on the European Commission to assess and address occupational health and safety risks associated with artificial intelligence and algorithmic management systems — tools that can direct or evaluate work, often used in digital labour platforms — the European Parliament said.
Workers managed by such systems can face higher risks from intensified work rhythms and abusive monitoring in algorithmic decision-making.
MEPs also asked the Commission to assess risks linked to climate-related factors including heat stress, extreme weather events and air pollution, and called for better protective and preventive measures to protect workers from extreme heat.
The Parliament also urged EU countries to strengthen labour inspectorates with permanent staff, adequate resources and institutional independence.
Rapporteur Chiara Gemma said the proposals were about turning remembrance into prevention and supporting a “Vision Zero” goal of zero fatalities at work.
