6,190 deaths are reported each year in Europe due to coronary heart disease, which is attributable to psychosocial risks at work. Another 4,843 workers lose their lives because of suicide caused by work-related depression. This means that psychosocial risks are now a greater danger to workers than physical accidents, which killed 3,286 people in 2022.

Female workers are disproportionately affected by psychosocial risks, such as long working hours, job insecurity and workplace bullying. There is also a geographic imbalance, with deaths linked to workplace stress more prevalent in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. 

The figures are based on research carried out by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and are presented today, on International Workers’ Memorial Day. The findings stress that these deaths are preventable and that tackling them would save companies and governments tens of billions of Euros a year. 

That is why, together with the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), industriAll Europe is calling on the European Commission to urgently bring forward a directive on psychosocial risks as part of its Quality Jobs Package. Such a directive should set binding obligations for employers to identify psychosocial risks through proper risk assessments, with the involvement of workers and trade unions.

EU data shows a legal obligation is the motivator of nine out of ten European companies to act on health and safety at work, although currently there is no EU legislation dedicated to psychosocial risks at work. 

The mission letter of Roxana Mînzatu, the European Commission Executive Vice-President for social rights, says she should work on “improving Europe’s approach to occupational health and safety, ensuring healthier workplaces and mental health at work.” 

Isabelle Barthès, industriAll Europe’s deputy general secretary, says “On what is the International Workers’ Memorial Day, trade unions remember all those who died, and stand with all those continuing to fight for better and safer workplaces that protect workers’ mental and physical health. The recent, tragic accident in a coal mine in Asturias, that killed five miners and injured several others, reminds us that we need to do more to ensure safer workplaces.

“With austerity looming, there is growing concern that labour inspectorates - which are essential on the ground to support the implementation of the OSH regulation - will suffer budget cuts. OSH remains the number one priority of trade unions at the workplace and must be a key element of the European Commission’s upcoming Quality Jobs Roadmap. We need robust regulation to tackle the new challenges at the workplace, combined with adequate financial resources to ensure its implementation at the workplace.”