12:34 pm, Saturday 29 September, 2012

National Workers Memorial
Photo: The Sydney Morning Herald

Construction of the National Workers Memorial has commenced in Canberra. The memorial funded by the federal government will pay tribute to all Australian workers who lost their lives to work-related accidents and diseases.

The design for the memorial features a series of tall columns which represent the contributions of workers from each Australian state and territory.

Federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Bill Shorten was present during the construction’s ground breaking ceremony last week.

“It is true that up to 300 Australians every year get killed at work. This number is a secret number to most Australians, I believe,” said Mr Shorten.

“I don’t believe Australians by and large appreciate what tragedy can occur in the blink of an eye in Australia’s workplaces.

“When you use a number like 300, it doesn’t even begin to encapsulate the impact and suffering, and in some ways – in many ways – this memorial to workers, should probably also be a memorial to their mothers.

“When you think about workplace fatality – and I rarely use the word ‘accident’ – I believe nearly everything is preventable, and I do believe that this memorial will also be a memory, that with a little more effort and a little more thought, we can actually change what will happen in the future.”

The new memorial is situated on the northern shore of Lake Burley Griffin and is due to be completed by March 2013.

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01:08 pm, Friday 16 March, 2012

The winning design for the
National Workers Memorial.
Photo: The Sydney Morning Herald

A $3 million national memorial for fallen workers will be built next year in Canberra. The winning design of the National Workers Memorial was unveiled on Thursday at Parliament House.

The memorial funded by the federal government will pay tribute to all Australian workers who lost their lives to work-related accidents and diseases.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the winning design called Workers Glade was developed by a Sydney-based architecture firm Johnston Pilton Walker.

In a statement on Wednesday, Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten emphasized the importance of recognising the contributions of Australian workers to the country.

“The Memorial will honour and pay tribute to all working Australians who have died as a result of work-related accidents, incidents and disease,” said Mr Shorten.

“It will also provide an important focal point for the national commemoration of Workers’ Memorial Day recognised internationally on 28 April each year.”

The design for the memorial features a series of tall columns which represent the contributions of workers from each Australian state and territory.

Mr Shorten revealed that the average age of workers who die in the country is 37.

“Imagine how many Australian champions or good parents, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends and neighbours we have lost prematurely,” said Mr Shorten.

According to a report by Safe Work Australia, there were 216 work-related fatalities from 2009-10. Costs for work injuries and diseases were assessed to be at more than $60 billion.

The new memorial will be built on the northern shore of Lake Burley Griffin and is due to be completed by March 2013.

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