International Workers Memorial Day Events in the Midlands

Construction union UCATT are holding a series of events in the Midlands to mark International Workers Memorial Day on Monday 28 April.

Steve Murphy UCATT’s Midlands Regional Secretary will be speaking at an event at Mansfield Kings Mill Hospital, where construction workers on the new hospital will stop work for a minute’s silence at 12pm

Kings Mill Hospital

Kings Mill Road East

Sutton in Ashfield

Notts

In Birmingham UCATT convenor Neal Vernon will be speaking at a Workers Memorial Day event at Birmingham Cathedral beginning at 12.30pm.

UCATT official Shaun Lee will be speaking at a Worker’s Memorial Day meeting at Leicester Town Hall beginning at 11am.

There will be an additional event involving construction workers at Mansfield Community Hospital, beginning at 12pm, where UCATT regional organiser Wayne Dickens will be speaking.

Last year 69 construction workers were killed at work, the year before the death toll was 77. Construction is the most dangerous industry in Britain. Despite this high death toll only around 30 per cent of companies involved in killing a construction worker are ever convicted of an offence. Despite the recent introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter Act it remains virtually impossible for a company director whose negligence caused the death of a worker to be jailed.

Steve Murphy the regional secretary for UCATT’s Midlands Region will be available for interview

Steve Murphy, said: “International Workers Memorial Day is the opportunity to remember the dead but also fight for the living. In all cases of death in the workplace, individual directors should be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted if negligent.”

UCATT are campaigning for the Government and the Health and Safety Executive to provide a far higher level of resources to ensure that construction sites are regularly inspected and that there should be a zero tolerance approach to health and safety breaches. UCATT also support the introduction of statutory directors duties which would force companies to appoint a director to take direct responsibility for health and safety issues.

For Further information contact Barckley Sumner on 0780 2329235 or Steve Murphy 07894414595