Skip to content

28 April 2026

Mourn
for the
Dead

Fight
For the
Living

Every week in New Zealand 18 workers are killed as a consequence of work.

Every 15 minutes, a worker suffers an injury that requires more than a week off work.

Workers’ Memorial Day 28 April commemorates those working people killed and injured at work.

Workers’ Memorial Day is an international trade union movement that honours working people killed and injured because of their work. We honour all workers, and their whanau, who have been impacted by workplace accidents, illnesses, and injuries in the last year.

Workers’ Memorial Day is also a call for protecting and improving the systems intended to keep workers safe and healthy at work.

In New Zealand, the number of workplace injuries, fatalities, and deaths from work-related health remain unacceptably high. Every week 18 workers are killed as a consequence of their work, every 15 minutes a worker suffers an injury that requires more than week off work.

Every one of these incidents are preventable.

Workers’ Memorial Day Events 2026

Unions will be hosting #IWMD events across the motu, find one near you:
Let us know if you’ll be hosting an event.

Location Date Details  
Wellington  Tuesday 28 April
10.30am  		VENUE: Workers’ Memorial Stone – Te Papa Waterfront,
Manawatu  Tuesday 28 April 
1-2pm 		VENUE: Workers’ Memorial, Memorial Park,
Fitzroy Street entrance  
Otago  Tuesday 28 April
11am		VENUE: Otago Workers’ Memorial, Market Reserve, cnr Princes St and Manor Place

Fight Back for Worker Safety

Workers’ Memorial Day is a call to action to fight for protecting and improving the laws that keep working people safe and healthy at work.

Now more than ever we need to fight for our rights. The Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Brooke van Velden, has recently announced changes to weaken health and safety laws and regulation. We’ve also seen the ongoing lack of decisive action to ban engineered stone, and protect workers from all silica dust.

Rather than being led by the evidence, worker safety is being eroded in the pursuit of Act Party ideology.

What’s worse is that these changes are being driven by a narrative of cutting red tape and economic efficiency. Far too often we see the real cost of a system that fails to protect working people – whānau killed at work, friends lost to the impact of work on their health, and colleagues off injured from accidents at work. It is our communities who are bearing the true costs of preventable tragedy.

Join us on Workers’ Memorial Day 28 April 2026 and fight back for your right to a safe and healthy workplace.

Health and Safety and Artificial Intelligence

AI in the WorkplaceDownload

The introduction of AI in workplaces can create significant health and safety risks for workers (such as intensification of work, and extreme surveillance) which can significantly impact workers’ mental and physical wellbeing. It is critical that unions and workers are involved in any decision to introduce AI so that these risks can be eliminated, and that the benefits and productivity gains are shared with the workforce.

The CTU has developed our Artificial intelligence in the workplace: A resource for New Zealand trade unions to support workers and their unions to ensure that workers benefit from the introduction of AI and are not harmed by it.

Get involved

Unable to make it to an event but still want to get involved?

Use the opportunity to hold a small event at work with a moments silence, a discussion of the importance of good health and safety in your workplace, and why now, more than ever, it’s crucial that we protect workers’ rights to safe and healthy work.

Workers’ Memorial Day Resources

wmd poster 25Download
NZCTU Health and Safety starter pack 2025Download

Related work we’ve done