Historically, the International Commemoration Day (ICD) is rooted in the activities of the Canadian labour movement which led to the first national recognition of 28 April by any Government when in 1989 Canada adopted the “Day of Mourning” Bill C-223. The same year the L-CIO of the United States adopted 28 April as its national day for workers in that country to also observe on an annual basis.

28 April became an “international day” when in 1996 at the United Nations in New York a Global Union delegation lit a Commemoration Candle and Incense to highlight the plight of workers who die, are injured or become ill due to unsustainable forms of work and production and to promote Decent Work and Sustainable Workplaces. They did so on the occasion of a special “Day of the Workplace” organised by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) with the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). Since then, the international labour movement has promoted 28 April as a global observance day. 28 April is now formally recognised nationally by governments in 14 countries or territories (see Argentina, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, Greece, Luxembourg, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Taiwan).