International Workers’ Memorial Day 2024 - Remember the Dead & Fight for the Living

A very powerful video from UNISON. This year since WMD is on a Sunday my branch will be organising our annual wreath laying event on the Friday before (Friday 26 April at 1pm) outside the "Clasping Hands" Statute in Three Mill Green, Stratford, E3

This is the site of a historic "accident" where a number of workers sacrificed their lives while attempting to rescue their colleagues.

Members and Staff Safety officers from a number of Housing Associations are expected but all welcome to pay their respects. Guest speakers invited. 

Further details to follow. 

Workers Memorial Day: This Friday 28 April - UNISON wreath laying at 1pm at "Clasping hands" statute, Bow, E3

 

This year UNISON Housing Association Branch will be remembering those who have died at work due to accidents at work or from work related ill health & diseases. It is also a campaigning day to fight for the living at work and their health and safety.

We will holding a wreath laying event at the "Clasping Hands" statute in Three Mills Green, Stratford, London E3 3DU at 1pm on Friday 28 April 2023. We have held this event now for many years but hope to get a good turn out post Covid. 

This beautiful statue is near the site of a ventilation shaft where 4 workers died in 1900. 3 of them perished while heroically trying to rescue a fellow worker.

Local MP, Lyn Brown is attending and all trade unionists will be welcome as well as safety advisors and anyone else, genuinely interested in health and safety at work. 

Please bring your trade union and Labour movement banners.

UNISON members from the nearby L&Q Housing headquarters will be walking to the site beforehand. The wreath laying and talk about what happened here and why it is important should last no more than 30 minutes or so.

If you are unable to attend this event then check out the TUC website for events local to you or arrange with your employer to carry out a general walkabout safety inspection of your workplace looking for obvious hazards. It is also Stress Awareness month so check on stress risk assessment arrangements and occupational health support for workers.

Newham Voices - September 2022 (Three Mills Tragedy)

 

Just read the latest edition of the excellent Community newsletter https://newhamvoices.co.uk/. The article on page 11 on the "tragic story of heroism at the Three Mills Distillery" was really informative. The "Helping Hands Memorial" at the site, is where Newham trade unionists and Labour Party members have met in recent years to mark "Workers Memorial Day" which takes place every 28 April. 

Workers Memorial Day 2022: UNISON Community Activists Remember the Dead and Fight for the Living

 

This morning at 11am in Three Mills Green, Stratford, London, E3 at the "Clasping Hands" statue, we remembered those who had died at work due to accidents and work related ill heath. More deaths each year than resulting from war. 

The UNISON national officer for Community (Housing associations and voluntary sector), Andrew Dobbie, gave us a passionate and eloquent historical explanation of what actually near this spot in 1901. When 3 workers sacrificed their lives in a doomed attempt to rescue a colleague from the bottom of a underground shaft filled with poisonous fumes. 

It was great to have a Clarion Health & Safety officer present as well as L&Q representative, UNISON member Cllr John Whitworth and Unite rep John Saunders. 

Workers Memorial Day – Thursday 28 April 2022

 

Every year on the 28 April in 19 countries across the world, workers remember all those who have died in an accident at work or from occupational illnesses and diseases such as exposure to asbestos. Sadly, more people are killed at work each year than die in wars. Many more suffer from work related disability or chronic ill health.

The theme for this year’s event following the many unnecessary deaths workers suffered from Covid is making sure that health and safety at work is a "fundamental employment right".

Greater London UNISON Housing Associations, has held an annual memorial in Stratford, East London for many years, organised by local members, other trade unions and some employer safety officers.

The annual memorial in Stratford takes place at Three Mills Green, E3 3DU behind the historic buildings nearby and next to the River Lea. It is about 10 minutes’ walk from Bromley-By-Bow underground station. 

There is a “clasping hands” statute at this site remembering the deaths of 4 workers who were suffocated in an underground vent. 3 Of them had sacrificed their lives while trying to rescue others by trying to pull them out of the vent but were overcome by fumes.  

Local MP Lyn Brown will be laying a wreath on behalf of UNISON at 11am on the day. All welcome. Please bring banners and assemble by 10.45. 

If you work outside London, check out this TUC website for an event near you https://www.tuc.org.uk/iwmd-events

Not only is this a day to remember the dead it is also a day to campaign and remind everyone of the risks they face at work and what can be done to reduce them.

In previous years in our branch line managers and UNISON members on 28 April were encouraged to go on joint “walkabouts” around their offices looking for simple slip and trip hazards while other workers had special “tool box” talks on relevant safety issues. With many employees still working from home for at least part of the week, 28 April could be the day to make sure you have an up-to-date home or office desktop risk assessment and you have any aids that are needed.

West Ham Leaflet & East Ham Canvass for Team Labour: Sadiq, Unmesh, Elly, Bob & Farah

Yesterday was a big day for me. I went (Covid safe)  leafleting and door knocking for the first time in over a year. I have really missed such contact with residents. 

After the Workers Memorial Day event during the day, in the evening I went with our MP, Lyn Brown to join Labour Party activists in West Ham ward to leaflet with  our City and East GLA Assembly Candidate Unmesh Desai. 

Then Lyn and I joined a canvass team to support the Labour Candidate, Farah Nazeer, who is standing in the East Ham Central by-election also taking place on May 6 . Farah is a fantastic candidate and if elected will make a brilliant councillor. 

Farah was joined by Labour Greater London Assembly candidates, Elly Baker and Bob Littlewood and we all went out as a canvassing team wearing masks, keeping social distancing and standing away from doors. 

Slightly to my surprise (and relief)  I did not witness any concern or complaints about us knocking on doors. 

International Workers' Memorial Day in West Ham (& also remembering Uncle Harry)

Today is International Workers Memorial Day and this afternoon we remembered all those who have been killed at work or died of work related diseases at the beautiful "Clasping Hands" sculpture and memorial in Three Mills Green, Newham, East London.

The memorial remembers "Godfrey Maule Nicholson, Manager Of A Stratford Distillery, George Elliott And Robert Underhill, Workmen, Successively Went Down A Well To Rescue Comrades And Were Poisoned By Gas. July 12 1901". How sad and how fitting to remember this on this particular day.

Our Local Member of Parliament, Lyn Brown, a long standing UNISON member, laid a wreath on behalf of my trade union branch, Greater London UNISON Housing Associations, who have organised memorial events here for many years.

Due to Covid we were restricted this year on who could attend but many thanks to Lyn, Andrew (National UNISON officer for Community), Sonya and Eunice (UNISON activists) for attending.

Hopefully next year we will be able to organise properly and have a bigger and more inclusive event.

Lyn gave a lovely little speech about about how important this occasion was to her as a the local MP to honour workers, such as Robert Underhill, who must have gone down the well on that day, knowing what had happened to those who had tried beforehand to rescue others, but he still risked his life to save others and paid the ultimate price for doing so.

Lyn also mentioned "Uncle Harry". By coincidence this morning I received an email from the niece of Henry (Harry) Turner. She had seen notice of this event on the TUC website. Some 200 yards away from this sculpture, her uncle Harry, had been killed in 1965 during an explosion, in the Sun Flour Mill. He had been working at the site while employed by the London Electricity Board (so possibly a member of UNISON's predecessor trade unions?) . Four people were killed by the explosion. 

There are already the names of other workers killed nearby as well as those from 1901 on the memorial plinth. So maybe we should consider whether other names such as Uncle Harry should be added.

Workers Memorial Day: Wednesday 28 April 2021

 

Workers Memorial Day Wednesday 28 April 2021. Remembering all those killed while at work or who have died of work related diseases.  It is also a campaigning day to fight for the living. 

Check out this physical and FaceBook live commemoration by my trade union branch at the beautiful "clasping hands" sculpture in Three Mills Green, E3.

 

Newham Council joins minutes silence in honour of fallen key workers

Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz today led councillors, staff and officers of Newham Council in observing a minute’s silence.

Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz today led councillors, staff and officers of Newham Council in observing a minute’s silence to honour the frontline NHS staff and key workers who have died from Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.

The Mayor, who was at the Council’s Dockside offices in Beckton, had asked other staff working remotely, to join the tribute from wherever they were working.

More than a hundred health and social care workers have lost their lives to the disease since the start of the crisis, and there will be many more in key service areas like public transport who have, and continue to put themselves in harm’s way, so we can stay safe.

The Mayor said: “As a Council we wanted to pay our own tribute to the heroic workers who have lost their lives to Covid-19 as a result of serving their communities during this desperate time.

“It was a very moving moment where we could all come together, not physically, but emotionally to say thank you to those who have paid for their service with their lives. They will not be forgotten.”

hat tip Newham Council & photos Andrew Baker

Workers Memorial Day 2020 - A one minutes silence of pictures

 Pictures from trades unions via TUC and from last year's Newham/ UNISON event

Lyn Brown MP speech at Workers' Memorial Day event 2019 - Remembering Lyra McKee as well as Godfrey Nicholson, Frederick Elliot, Robert Underhill and Thomas Pickett

"Thanks so much to John for organising this as he does every year, and to everyone who has attended today. It is always a powerful demonstration of how much the labour movement and our heritage means to us today.

On Worker’s Memorial Day every year we resolve to remember the dead, and renew our fight for the living. Both of those resolutions are about standing in solidarity with workers and the labour movement across the islands we call home, and across the world. Today we celebrate the victories and sacrifices of the past, we relate events in the present to our history and our tradition, and we reflect on what we can do to build a world of safety, security, justice and prosperity for workers and our communities in the future.

Every year we gather at this place to remember the heroism of Godfrey Maule Nicholson, Frederick Elliot, and Robert Underhill, who died in the attempt to save their colleague Thomas Pickett from a tragic and entirely preventable death at work. Their instinct to help their colleagues led each of them in turn to fearlessly climb down into the well where Thomas Pickett had already succumbed to the gas. They could have waited, but they must have felt that if they did their fellow workers would certainly have died. Their solidarity was immediate, powerful, and inspiring, and their tragic deaths are so worthy of commemoration more than a century on.

Today is also about the present, and I’ve been thinking about Lyra McKee. We stand together with all who knew Lyra McKee through her work as a journalist or in the rest of her life and with the Derry Trades Union Council, who are putting her at the heart of their commemorations today. Lyra was one of the hundreds of thousands of people who are killed or injured just doing their jobs each year. I condemn her murder as a trade unionist and a member of the labour movement just as I condemn it as someone who is deeply concerned about preserving the hard-won peace in Northern Ireland.

Finally, today is about the future. It is about what we can recommit to do to increase safety for workers in the future:

· Joining a union and encouraging others to do likewise.

· Working for a solution to the Brexit crisis that ensures we won’t fall behind our fellow workers in the rest of Europe on health and safety, the environment we all live in, or our workers rights.

· And fighting for political change at all the different levels of government to put workers and people who will stand up for workers into power. We have local and European elections within the next month, and I’m hopeful with the May Government faltering we’ll have a General election soon as well.

We could soon have an opportunity to fight for a Ministry of Labour, for pro-union and pro-worker policies across the board, and for a Government who won’t see health and safety rules as red tape to be reduced but as essential protections and as ways that our solidarity is made permanent and effective, so workers like Lyra McKee, workers like Thomas Pickett, Robert Underhill, Frederick Elliot and Godfrey Nicholson will never be put at risk again".

Workers' Memorial Day 2019 - UNISON Wreaths at Clasping Hands Statue, Three Mills Green, Newham

Today we remembered four local workers who in 1901 selflessly lost their lives,  while trying to rescue a colleague who had collapsed from poisonous fumes, whilst inspecting a ventilation shaft in what is now "Three Mills Green park".

This annual memorial event is organised by my trade union branch, Greater London UNISON Housing Associations, but Workers Memorial Day is an international event supported by the UK Government, remembering those who have been killed while at work or have died of work related illness or injuries.

There were a number of speakers including UNISON members, West Ham MP,  Lyn Brown and Newham Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz.

Lyn reminded us that  today we should also remember the Northern Irish journalist, Lyra Mckee, recently murdered at her work.  Rokhsana said that at the 1901 inquest into the deaths of the workers the employer was blasted for ignoring basic health and safety rules which resulted in their deaths.

Other speakers included London Assembly Member, Unmesh Desai; Former Tower Hamlets Council Leader, Helel Abbas, Newham Unite branch Chair, Brenda Bedminster and local Stratford Councillor, Joshua Garfield.

(Hat tip main picture Cllr Mumtaz Khan)

Workers Memorial Day noon Sunday 28 April 2019 - 3 Mills Green, Stratford, Newham, E3

Advance notice of this years Workers Memorial Day event at 3 Mills Green, Stratford, Newham, E3

Newham Heritage Week - Walk to Mill House & Tour

Picture college is from the last day of Newham Heritage Week, when Gill and I walked from Forest Gate (and back) for a tour of Mill House in 3 Mill Island, Bromley-by-Bow.

We walked via the back streets of Forest Gate, thorough West Ham Park, the Green Way then along the newly reopened "Long Walk" footpath path to 3 Mill Island. I use to walk/cycle this route for many years when I worked in my housing office near Roman Road, Bow.

I am sure that the early "Big Brother" TV series used to be filmed nearby? The old "Bridge of Shame" has gone but part of the old footpath route is still blocked off. I must find out why.

Nearby is the beautiful "Clasped Hands" Workers Memorial Day statute in 3 Mills Green.

The Mill House in 3 Mill Island, Bromley-by-Bow is a hidden Newham historic gem.  The Mill House is a Grade 1, 18th Century listed tidal mill. "Originally built in 1776, on a man-made island on an existing pre-Domesday site, it is the largest surviving tidal mill in the world".

The Tour of the Mill House was fascinating, it is amazing that there has been a working water mill on this site since around 1380 to 1941. I joined "Friends of the Mill House" at the end of the tour.

I missed the nearby Mill Island London Gin tasting tours this year but will make a special effort to attend next year! 

Workers' Memorial Day - Saturday 28 April 2018 10.45-11.15am at Clasping Hands Statue, 3 Mills Green, E3 3DU

This is a really important event in the Labour movement calendar and takes place, I think, at the most significant but unknown example of historic working class art in East London. I hope that as many members of the Labour Movement family can attend as possible. Keynote speakers invited. 

Workers Memorial Day at 3 Mills Green E3 - 11am Saturday 28 April 2018

"The purpose behind Workers' Memorial Day has always been to "remember the dead: fight for the living" and unions are asked to focus on both areas, by considering events or memorial to remember all those killed through work but at the same time ensuring that such tragedies are not repeated.

That can best be done by building trade union organisation, and campaigning for stricter enforcement with higher penalties for breaches of health & safety laws.

Workers Memorial Day is commemorated throughout the world and is officially recognised by the UK Government.

In 2018 the theme for the day is Unionised workplaces are safer workplaces and will focus the huge difference that unions make in preventing deaths in the workplace. We will also be celebrating 40 years of union health and safety representatives" See TUC website.

West Ham Labour Party Trade Union affiliates & members are organising a wreath laying event at 11am on Saturday 28 April 2018 at the "Clasping Hands" statue in Three Mills Green, E3 3DU (see photo college of previous event above).

The statue is in the park next to the film studios and is to remember the deaths of 3 workers who died near this location while trying to rescue a colleague in 1901.

The park is a 10 minutes’ walk from local stations. Please contact John Gray (J.Gray2@unison.co.uk) if you wish to attend.  

West Ham Ward Councillor Report 7 December 2017

Councillor Report to Ward 7 December 2017

WEST HAM WARD LABOUR PARTY tel: 0203 373 2615 or email John.Gray@newham.gov.uk

This is my bi-monthly written report. In October both I and my fellow ward member, John Whitworth, attended and passed a Labour Party candidate selection interview for the 2018 local elections. There will be local ward selections sometime in the New Year.

Our fellow ward Councillor, Freda Bourne, has decided not to re-stand but retire. Many thanks to Freda for her many years of service to the residents of West Ham.

Council IssuesResignation from Newham Fire Safety Scrutiny in Tower Blocks Commission
31 October I was forced to resign from being a member of this Commission because the evidence meetings are being held in secret. I did try to get this decision changed informally but was not successful. This secrecy is in my view completely unacceptable after the Grenfell Fire. We need complete openness and transparency to make sure such things never happen again.

Meeting with Director of Finance
22 November I met the Director and other senior managers with other Councillors to discuss our concerns about the Newham Council London Stadium loan impairment and pending huge investments into private sector renting (Red door ventures) and Commercial properties.

Newham Council Meeting
4 December. Following the announcement that £52 million in loans and working capital invested by Newham Council in the London Stadium has been lost, I raised emergency questions to the Mayor about the need for an independent judicial led enquiry into what went so wrong and that we should pause before committing proposed new massive investments in other property until we found out what had gone wrong. The Mayor disagreed.

Surgeries and case work
I have attended 2 surgeries per month in Vicarage Lane Community Centre and Brassett Point Residents Association room. There has been a number of cases regarding ASB; drug dealing; parking; housing disrepair, service charge disputes, Right to buy, domestic violence and neighbour disputes.

Ward issues
20th Anniversary of death of Police Constable Nina Mackay.
On 24 October both I and Cllr Whitworth attended this well organised and dignified remembrance service of PC Mackay who was killed on duty in Arthingworth Street E15.

AGM One Housing Group Tenants & Residents Association.
On 30 October I was pleased to attend its inaugural AGM and really hope that we are starting to see a rebirth of the TRA movement.

West Ham campaigning & petition on lack of social homes in Ford Showrooms development
28 October we went door knocking in the ward with Lyn Brown MP with petitions calling on the developers to commit to more social homes.

9 November we went and delivered letters to new party members in the ward inviting them to a special meeting.

Durul Jannah Community Centre, E15 – First Anniversary
5 November I was a guest with Cllr Whitworth & Lyn Brown MP at the 1st anniversary celebration. Lyn gave prizes to the children who used the centre and reminded all of them that they like her could one day become MPs when they grow up.

Estate Inspection Ladywell Street
8 November I did another inspection with a Family Mosaic senior manager and local residents. While there has been some improvements in this estate the performance by some contractors is very poor and they need to be monitored much better and made to improve.

Rebecca Cheetham Nursery School
23 November I attended its School Governor meeting. Things appear to going well at the school and I have been pleased to have met parents recently who are very complimentary about it.

Xmas Hampers for Elders
The free hampers for elders is running late this year but if you can help collect and delivery these hampers to local residents please contact Cllr Whitworth or I.

Misc.
Pension Conference
10 October I was on a panel speaking to a Local Government Pension investment conference about ESG issues (Environment, Social and Governance).

Community Land trusts
12 October I helped organise a Newham Co-operative Party meeting on Community Land trusts which I think is something that we consider supporting in Newham. 

Local Authority Pension Fund Forum

17 October I attended the business meeting and in the feedback session about the pooling of Local Authority pension funds I stressed the need to have beneficiary representation on these new funds.  

Political/Community (outside ward)
18 October I went door knocking with local Councillors and members in Forest Gate North. We visited an estate to talk with local residents where a young child had been murdered recently in what was believed to be a gang related crime.

23 October there was a successful fund raising dinner for the 2018 elections sponsored in part by London UNISON Labour Link.

4 November “Solidarity Saturday” I was campaigning in the Thurrock Tory marginal with Lyn Brown MP.

London Labour Conference25 & 26 November I was a UNISON delegate to this conference and moved a successful motion on the private rental sector in London.

Black History event
4 November. After canvassing in Thurrock I attended a very well organised and informative event on Black History in Canning town Library. I very much hope next year that the Council participates in similar events.

Ramgarhia Sikh Gurdwara Temple
4 November. Next I went to the temple to help mark the 548th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

Workers Memorial Day 2018
Date for future is Saturday 28 April 2018 when West Ham Labour Party and local trade unions will be remembering all those killed at work or who have died of work related ill health at the Three Mills Green Memorial.

If any member wishes to contact me about this report to discuss any aspect please do not hesitate to do so.

Regards
John Gray
West Ham Ward Councillor
JohndotGray2012aticlouddotcom

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" Worker Memorial Day 2017

Today is Workers Memorial Day, and across the world trade unionists remember the 20,000 British and the 2.3 million deaths of workers worldwide who die prematurely every year in work related accidents or from occupational disease.

In Three Mills Green, Stratford, East London there is a memorial to 4 workers who lost their lives while at work. On this site there used to be an underground well next to a Gin distillery. On July 12 1901 a worker was sent down the shaft to carry out work but was overcome by toxic fumes. Three of his fellow workers went down the shaft, in turn, to try and rescue him and were all in turn poisoned and died while trying to pull their comrades to safety.

The "Clasping hands" statue was later erected to honour this sacrifice.

West Ham Labour Party, UNISON Housing Association branch and Newham Teachers Association (NUT) have for the past several years laid a wreath on Workers Memorial Day at this site to remember all those who have died at work or from work related ill health.

Next year, 2018 Workers Memorial Day, is on a Saturday (it's always on 28 April) so we hope to hold a bigger event, inviting local schools, Woodcraft folk, all parts of the Labour Movement and progressive employers to attend and participate.

This part of East London is steeped in working class history. Behind this picture you can see the London Match Girls Strike Building and also the 2014 London Olympics Stadium.

My UNISON Branch Chair, Tony Power, addressed the gathering and pointed out that due to good health and safety agreements and practices with trade unions, no workers was killed building the London Olympic Stadium. While in a country such as Qater, which does not recognise trade unions, it is thought that 7000 workers will die by the time the World Football Cup kicks off in 2022.

London UNISON Housing Association Branch AGM 2017: Speaker Tom Copley AM at the UNISON Head Office

Picture collage from our branch AGM which took place last week at the UNISON Centre with keynote speaker, London Assembly Member, Tom Copley.

The AGM was split into 2 meetings to aid participation by members. A part 1 lunch time session then a Part 2 evening meeting. Before both we had arranged guided tours of our national UNISON headquarters. The views from the 9th floor are spectacular.

All AGMs are a bit bureaucratic and dare I say even a little boring but our speaker, Tom Copley, was excellent.  As the City Hall Housing spokesperson he was completely on top of his brief.

I had been re-elected unopposed as branch secretary (I obviously have not paid off all my sins yet from a previous wicked life), I moved the annual report, took questions on this and finance, spoke on a motion to our national conference about building a new housing consensus (passed) and generally helped out our number one Chair, Tony Power.

At the end of the meeting we thanked our branch and regional staff for their fantastic support for members and helping to organise this AGM. Next was the inevitable raffle.

In the finest traditions of the Labour Movement we had a post AGM drink (some had soft drinks but I needed Czech budweiser) in the UNISON cafetiere/bar.

Next our branch is organising its annual event for Workers Memorial Day 28 April at Three Mills, Bow, E3. While on Tuesday evening 16 May, our branch Labour Link AGM will take place at the House of Commons with keynote speaker, Shadow Secretary of  State for Housing, John Healey MP.

"Remember the dead but fight for the Living": Workers Memorial Day 2016

Please see attached photo and press release on behalf of UNISON Housing Associations Branch, Newham NUT, Newham United Against Austerity and West Ham Labour TULO.

Last Thursday 28 April Trade Unionists and Labour Party supporters gathered around the “Clasped Hands” statue in Three Mills Green, Stratford, E3.

UNISON NEC Member John Gray (and Newham Councillor) spoke to the gathering about the “50,000 workers who die each year in the UK from either accidents or work related ill health. That is 1,000 workers each and every week that die prematurely. The vast majority of these deaths were completely avoidable”.

Tony Power, who works for a local Housing Association in Stratford reminded them about the tragedy that occurred on this site in 1901 that the “clasped hands” monument remembers.  “A worker was repairing a ventilation shaft when he was overcome and collapsed due to fumes. Three of his fellow workers sacrificed their lives by trying to pull him out but they were overcome by fumes as well and sadly died”.  

Retired Newham teacher, Peg Probett, placed the wreath on the memorial.

Newham Councillor, Obaid Khan, thanked the Newham trade unions and NUAA for organising this important event.