Government Recognition of Workers Memorial Day Is Important First Step

Construction union UCATT have welcomed today’s announcement (28 January) that the Government will formally recognise Workers Memorial Day, as an important step forward. UCATT has long campaigned for Workers Memorial Day (28^th April) to become a bank holiday.

Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, said: “The Government’s decision to formally recognise Workers Memorial Day is an important first step in the campaign to establish Workers Memorial Day as a bank holiday, in order to ensure that all workers have an opportunity to remember their friends and colleagues who have been killed or injured at work.”

In recent years there have been an increasing number of marches, rallies, commemorative ceremonies and workplace events to mark Workers Memorial Day. The day is particularly important in the construction industry due to the high number of deaths and serious injuries that occur in the sector.

Construction is the most dangerous industry in Britain. Last year there were 53 construction workers killed at work. The Government’s announcement came on the same day that 2 construction workers in Scotland were killed within 12 hours of each other.

In 2009 the Government issued a consultation on whether to formally recognise Workers Memorial Day. In UCATT’s response to the consultation the union called for Worker s Memorial Day to become a bank holiday. UCATT also called for the Government to encourage all workplaces to hold a minute’s silence on Workers Memorial Day.

For Further information contact Barckley Sumner on 0780 2329235

UCATT represents 125,000 members employed in the construction industry throughout the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland