CNEL WELCOMES EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT VOTE ON A EUROPEAN DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR VICTIMS OF WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS

CNEL expresses its great satisfaction with the vote by the European Parliament plenary, which overwhelmingly approved the resolution calling on Member States and EU institutions to support the establishment of a European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Workplace Accidents, to be observed each year on 8 August in memory of the Marcinelle tragedy.

The resolution was adopted with 395 votes in favour, 12 against and 41 abstentions, demonstrating broad cross-party support for the motion, the issues addressed and the choice of 8 August as the commemorative date.

The proposal, which originated in Italy and enjoys the full support of the Italian Government, marks an important milestone long awaited by Italian communities in Belgium, the victims’ families and the associations that have kept the memory of the tragedy alive. Today, that aspiration has finally gained recognition within the European institutions.

On 8 August 1956, 262 miners lost their lives in the Bois du Cazier coal mine. Among them were 136 Italians, 95 Belgians, 8 Poles, 6 Greeks, 5 Germans, 3 Algerians, 3 Hungarians, 2 French nationals, one Briton, one Dutchman, one Russian and one Ukrainian. Twelve nationalities, one single tragedy. Italian emigration paid the highest price, alongside workers who had come from every corner of the continent. Marcinelle belongs to Italian history and, even more fundamentally, to European history. From that suffering emerged the foundations of the European social citizenship that is now taken for granted.

A decisive contribution to today’s vote came from all Italian delegations represented in the European Parliament, which united behind the proposal across political group lines. This outcome restores to Italy the role it rightfully holds in preserving the memory of European labour and reflects a spirit of national unity within the institutions of the European Union.

Efforts will now continue with a view to the next stages in the Council of the European Union and the European Commission, with the hope that, beginning on 8 August next year, marking the seventieth anniversary of the tragedy, Marcinelle will officially become one of the symbolic sites of European conscience.

Further information (documents available in Italian only):

• Click here for the text of the Resolution (Italian version only).
• Click here for the editorial by CNEL President Renato Brunetta, “Europe Was Born in Marcinelle. Memory and Labour, Rights and Migration. Let 8 August Become a Day for the EU”, published in Corriere della Sera on 7 August 2024 (Italian version only).
• Click here for the editorial by CNEL President Renato Brunetta, “Marcinelle, Europe: A Day for Victims of Workplace Accidents Is Getting Closer”, published in Corriere della Sera on 7 August 2025 (Italian version only).

English translation generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of inconsistency, the original Italian text shall prevail.