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UCATT London and South East



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Wednesday, 22 April 2009

London Event To Mark International Workers Memorial Day

Construction union UCATT are organising a major event to mark International Workers Memorial Day on Tuesday 28 April.

Construction workers will gather at the Building Worker Statute for a short memorial meeting, which will include the laying of wreaths and the releasing of 72 black balloons (one for every construction worker killed in Britain last year).

Speakers include Jerry Swain, the Regional Secretary for UCATT’s London and South East Region, Linda Whelan, whose son Craig was killed on a construction site and Tony O’Brien from the Construction Safety Campaign.

Tuesday 28th April

Building Worker Statute

Opposite Tower Hill Tube

By Tower of London

London

10.15am

The highest number of construction deaths occur in London, last year 11 workers were killed in the capital. Construction is the most dangerous industry in Britain, in 2007/8 72 construction workers were killed at work.

Jerry Swain, Regional Secretary of UCATT’s London and South East Region, said: “Everyone in construction knows of colleagues and friends who have been maimed or killed while at work. International Workers Memorial Day is an opportunity to come together and remember these people. But it is also an opportunity to demand far higher levels of safety on construction sites. Every death is preventable.”

UCATT are asking workers who are unable to attend any of the above events to hold a two minute silence at 12pm in memory of their fellow workers. Many of the main construction contractors in  London and the South East have agreed to this request.

UCATT are campaigning to dramatically increase the resources spent on frontline construction inspectors, following a prolonged erosion of inspector numbers. Increased inspector numbers should be supported by a zero tolerance approach to safety breaches, with much greater use of the powers of enforcement and prosecution.

In particular UCATT is calling for greater resources being spent on policing small and medium companies. The majority of construction workers are killed whilst working for companies with fewer than 50 workers.

For further information contact Barckley Sumner on 0780 2329235.