28 April 2017: International Workers Memorial Day in Manchester across North West, UK and the world #IWMD17
Who lives and who dies at work is not an accident of chance – it is due to social class and economic inequality,
Compounded by discrimination based on sex, gender, race/ethnic origin, sexuality, faith and disability 1
On Friday 28 April, International Workers Memorial Day, there are events in Manchester and across the North West to remember all the people killed at or by work, in incidents or from illnesses.2 Globally millions of people are killed by work every year (many millions more injured and made ill): every 15 seconds someone is killed by a work incident or illness.3 Almost all of these deaths could have been prevented. In Great Britain around 1,200 are killed in work-related incidents and 50,000 die from work-related illnesses. Million are made ill by stress of long working hours, excessive workloads, impossible targets, low pay and insecurity, and around 300 workers are driven to take their own lives every year, and this is increasing.4
Even in the rare cases where an employer is sent to jail for their negligence, it’s usually only for months and as Ben Edge’s mother said recently: “They have been sent to prison for 10 months, a year, then they will be out but we have been given a life sentence without Ben.5” It’s not war or murder that kills 140 people a day in Greater Britain but corporate killing at work.
In the North West we estimate that around 5,000 people are killed by work every year in incidents, by suicide, and
From illnesses like cancer, heart and lung disease caused by poor working conditions
Almost all of them could have been prevented if employers just obeyed the law
This year the International TUC (ITUC) theme is Unsafe and Unfair- Discrimination at work hurts us all and the TUC demands Good Health and Safety for all Workers whoever they are.6
Janet Newsham, Co-ordinator of Greater Manchester Hazards Centre says: “We all want decent work with good health and safety for the people we love and for all workers whoever they are, and wherever they work. We reject the indecent, insecure zero hours, sweat shop, modern slavery and the gig economy that many employers want to become the ‘new normal’, because it is making us sick to death. Trade unions make work safer, healthier and fairer, narrow inequalities and improve public health, employers’ bottom line, and benefit the whole economy.”
On #IWMD17 in the North West events 7 will be based on around the perennial aims of remembering the dead and fighting for the living, plus the specific theme this year of tackling inequality at work. We remember ALL those killed at and by work whose deaths were almost all caused by employers’ mismanagement and failure to comply with the law. No-one is just a statistic and we will display purple tear drops to remember specific people and events, and read out the names of those we know at events in Manchester, Preston and Chorley.
Salford 22 April: 1pm Agecroft memorial, Agecroft Road, Salford with plaques unveiled to Madge Kelly and Harry Davies https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=salford%20star%20magazine
Blackburn 28 April 12.30 at WMD Tree, Northgate/Suddell Cross, Blackburn
Chorley 28 April Short march from Astley Park (the park gates) Park Road, at 5:45 pm and service at the Unite WMD tree at 6pm until 6:20pm. All welcome to join. Banners and flags welcome.
Liverpool 28 April: 11.30- 11.50am, North Piazza, Georges Dock Bld, Pier Head L3 1DD (Dock Road bottom of James Street), Wreath laying and Piper then coach to Unite Union Building, Islington , Liverpool L3 8EF. 1.00-2.30PM Speakers: John Halligan, Stress at work; Shelia Coleman, Unite; Bill Lawrence, Gadani ship carnage; Steve Hedley, RMT dispute; Mr. John Dunn, Orgreave Campaign.
Manchester 28 April Rally in Lincoln Square 12 noon to 13.00
Speakers: Lynn Collins NWTUC; Workers; TU Safety Reps; Tracey Seward, Families Against Corporate Killers; Christine Alderson, GM Asbestos Victim Support Group; Leo McCann, trauma in emergency workers; Debbie Abrahams, Shadow DWP Sec State; Mick Whelan GS ASLEF; Andy Burnham, Labour GM Mayoral candidate; Phil Liptrot, Thompsons Solicitors.
Reading Names of those killed at work; Laying of wreaths and one minute’s silence.
Music by Claire Mooney at start and finish.
Purple Tear Drops will be displayed to remember specific people killed by work.
Manchester Flyer: http://www.gmhazards.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Manchester-iwmd17-flyer.pdf
Exhibition: Fair enough? We are all sickened by inequality at work at People History Museum from 21st April to 2nd May and
Film:
The importance of Workers Memorial Day in PHM Lobby 28 April https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB80D0MD0w0&feature=youtu.be
Preston 29 April Meet on Preston Flag market at 11.45am with a musical build up to a minutes silence at noon followed by speeches, release of doves. There will then be a march with banners through Preston to lay wreaths at the Lune Street memorial in remembrance of those who lost their lives through work, any organisation can either order a wreath through us or bring their own. Purple Tear Drops to remember will be displayed to remember specific people killed by work.
Bolton Sunday 30th April 11:00 The Hub Bold St Bolton BL1 1LS 11:30; Victoria Square 11:30-12:00 Speakers 12:00 Minutes Silence followed by laying of wreath
Face it. Unfair workplaces are a pain. Only Unions can make it better.
United we stand: Divided we cough, ache, limp, itch, wheeze and die!
#IWMD17 Resources from GMHC 8
For more information contact GMHC 0161 636 7557 and 079298 00240
Notes for Editors
- Face it. We are all sickened by inequality at work – Hazards magazine http://www.hazards.org/vulnerableworkers/ituc28april.htm
- Background to IWMD: http://www.gmhazards.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/WHY-WE-ARE-FIGHTING-FOR-OUR-LIVES-updated.pdf and Importance of IWMD film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB80D0MD0w0&feature=youtu.be
- Unsafe and unfair-discrimination on the job hurts us all
https://www.ituc-csi.org/28-april-2017-unsafe-and-unfair-18490 - The Whole Story http://www.gmhazards.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Hazards-Campaign-challenging-the-HSE-statistics.pdf, and Film
- Ben Edge http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-39294384
- ITUC/Hazards Magazine: http://28april.org/?p=1148 & Facebook: Workers Memorial Day* 28 April https://www.facebook.com/groups/170025585213/; TUC: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/workers-memorial-day – Let’s talk about racism https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/LetstalkaboutRacism.pdf and Gender sensitive checklist;
- TUC listing: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workersmemorialday;
- Hazards Campaign Resources and information for #IWMD17 http://www.gmhazards.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/iwmd-2017-Resources-Final-1.pdf
PCS Fylde 