UCATT Welcomes Government Moves To Properly Recognise Workers Memorial Day

Construction union UCATT have welcomed initial moves by the Government to properly recognise International Workers Memorial Day.

The Department for Work and Pensions today launched a consultation to examine how to properly recognise Workers Memorial Day.

International Workers Memorial Day has become increasingly well supported in recent years. It is always held on the 28^th April and it is the day when workers come together to remember former colleagues who have been killed or injured at work. A growing number of organisations hold services and events on the day.

Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, said: “Workers Memorial Day is becoming an increasingly important date in the calendar of workers. It is the day when workers come together to remember the dead and fight for the living. I am pleased that the Government now recognise just how important this date is.”

UCATT’s policy is that an additional bank holiday should be created in order to properly mark International Workers Memorial Day. A number of countries already celebrate the date in this way.

Mr Ritchie, added; “Ideally the Government will decide to mark the day with a bank holiday. However the organisation of a minute’s silence and greater encouragement for services and events to mark the day within workplaces would also be an important step forward.”

Workers Memorial Day is a particularly poignant day for UCATT. Construction is the most dangerous industry in Britain. In 2007/8 72 construction workers were killed. No figures are yet available for this year.

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