Sixty-nine black baloons released to commerorate construction workers killed in 2007/8

Regions throughout the UK have today been involved in events to mark International Workers Memorial Day.


Workers memorial, Tower Hill

In London an event was held at unions UCATT’s statue to the Unknown Construction Worker at Tower Hill. Over 300 construction workers from sites in London were in attendance.

Speaking at the event Harry Cohen, Labour MP for Leyton and Wanstead, read out a message of support from Gordon Brown, which said that the Government would “never stop campaigning for health and safety at home and abroad.”

Jerry Swain, regional secretary of UCATT’s London and South East Region, made an impassioned plea for a crackdown on rogue construction bosses and said: “You should pay the penalty if you put construction workers lives at risk. We must tell the employers enough, is enough is enough.”

At the end of the ceremony a minute’s silence was held and black balloons to commemorate every construction worker who was killed at work last year were released.

In 2007/8 69 construction workers were killed.

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