Monday, April 28, 2008

Workers Memorial Day – Rally outside London City Hall

This afternoon I was on a Unison Regional Council Officer “Away day” in central London. During lunchtime a few of us went to the Greater London Assembly, City Hall to take part in the Workers Memorial Day (WMD - see picture) rally.

As previously posted WMD is an international Day of Remembrance of workers who have been killed at work or have died of diseases linked to work. It is also a campaigning day to stop workers being hurt in the first place. The rally had a number of speakers from trade unions, safety organisations and families who have lost loved ones.

According to the ILO over two million workers are killed due to work every year world wide.

This rally was quite subdued and poignant. Especially when speakers spoke about family members who had been “killed” while at or due to work and their long, long legal battles for justice.

Last year West Ham Labour Party held a “minute’s silence” outside Forest Gate Youth Centre, with Lynn Brown MP, local councillors and Party activists.

There were actually two events outside City Hall - “back to back”. The WMD rally and the anti-Nazi/BNP “Ring of Democracy” around City Hall (see next post).

4 comments:

marksmum said...

as a self confessed labour party supporter and union 'activist' you should be ashamed that only a 'few'of you went along to support WMD in London.I am appalled that in a city of millions only a paltry few can turn out.
I was speaking on WMD in a small town in Scotland and 130 turned out
Join the Families Against Corporate Killers who are fighting hard for your right NOT to suffer the loss of a precious relative as we have done
The true figure of those killed by work related incidents is 1700 every single year and 50000 die from diseases caused or aggravated by work
The word 'activist' means that you take action, not sit back and let others fight your battles
This Westminster labour government has betrayed British citizens by promising to bring in laws to bring employers who kill through negligence to justice while actually selling our lives for 30 pieces of business silver
So if you are an activist join the fight. It could be your family next,Have a look in our website www.fack.org.uk or www.corporateaccountability.org.uk if you want to know what's really happening I do hope you do become an activist

John Gray said...

Hi Marksmum

No I am not ashamed that the rally was not better attended. Disappointed yes, and I think that the Labour movement family ought to think about why we cannot mobilise our members for a variety of events not just WMD.

I apologise if the photo gives the wrong impression that only a few attended. I tried to include all the TU banners. There were probably about 150 people in total.

Hope you do not mind but what small town in Scotland did you speak at? Why don't you cite it?

Well done for getting 130 people. London should get far, far more to attend such an event. I do think that maybe we need to think again about the traditional march and rally format rather than just blaming union members for not attending. While I will turn up to such events 99% of my members will not. Why? (its not just me being there - honest)We need to think about this.

I don’t think that the Labour Government has “betrayed” anyone. I wish that employers should face imprisonment; however the Corporate Manslaughter Act is an achievement and would not have been passed by any other government.

It is important for those in the movement not to confuse attending marches and rally with true activism. We know that some “activists” do not consider Health & Safety to be a true trade union activity.

Hilda said...

Hi John,
Hilda Palmer Greater Manchester Hazards Centre, Hazards Campaign and Facilitator of Fack, mmeber of UNITE-TGWU here.
Good report on WMD in London John, and many thanks for including a link to FACK Families Against Corporate Killers - on your blog under 'elf and safety. You will have heard FACK founder member Mike Hutin from South Wales s[peak - his son Andrew was killed in a blast furnace explosion at Corus.

As you know and marksmum also refers to, there are many IWMD events all over the country - we had 150 at our very wet event in Manchesterand Preston rally and march on Saturday probably had same or more - while it is a shame more do not turn out, you are right to question the form of evenst and also to pint out that this isn't all their is to activism! I am well aware of your own activism on H&S at work and salute you! Sadly I think you are right that some activists don't think H&S is something they need to be active on, but marksmum and many other families have learned to their cost that H&S at work isn't something we can take for granted and have to fight hard over. Many workers are extremely vulnerable to lack of H&S, migrant workers being a specific but not the only group at great risk. International Workers Memorial Day is part of that work, raising public awareness of the toll of lack of H&S, trying to gain wider public support for our agenda - legal duties for H&S on directors; stiffer penalties for all H&S offences; much more funding for much more effective, preventative enforcement; more rights for safety reps and workers; and by our activities putting some pressure on politicians and government.
But the work and activism involves a hell of a lot more than thta and marksmum - as another founder FACK meber- has been very active in forcing Scottish MPs to face up to the facts.


Suggestions as to how to get next years IWMD wider publicity and also more participation gratefully accepted!
Hilda Palmer

John Gray said...

Hi Hilda
Thank you for your contribution. Yes, we need to put our thinking caps on how we can get more people involved.

Keep up the good work with GMHC, Hazards and Fack!