Unite remembers

Unite marked International Workers’ Memorial Day yesterday (Monday 28 April) with a demand for more action at all levels to reduce workplace deaths.

Memorial events happened across the country as workers gathered to remember colleagues who have died or been injured while at work.

The latest figures revealed that in 2023/24 there were a total of 138 workers killed in fatal accidents at work. The highest number of deaths was in the construction sector where 51 workers lost their lives. The most common form of fatal accident was fall from heights which made up 36 per cent of the total.

In addition to fatal accidents, thousands more workers and retired workers lost their lives because of developing industrial diseases.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham visited Unite reps at Manchester Airport and took part in their service to remember the workers who have lost their lives in the workplace. 

The general secretary said, “Today, as we remember all workers who have died at work, we also remember the families whose loved ones went out to work and never came home.

“One death is far too many. Yet every year thousands of people die unnecessarily due to workplace accidents and industrial diseases. This is a hidden epidemic which is being ignored by society.

“It is the fundamental role of unions to keep workers safe and to ensure employers and government do the same. The safety and wellbeing of workers is never optional and must always be the highest priority in the workplace.

“It is imperative the government fully funds the HSE and other enforcement bodies to ensure that employers can’t cut corners on safety.”

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which is the body primarily responsible for workers’ safety, has seen cuts in real terms of 45 per cent in its budget since 2010, due to government austerity measures.

The squeeze on finances has resulted in a significant reduction in enforcement and inspection activity. For instance proactive inspections in construction, which saw a four year high in deaths, have declined by a third in a decade.

Photos below are from just some of the International Workers Memorial Day events that took place.

Manchester

Liverpool

London – Tower Hill

Cardiff

Bristol

Bournemouth

Leeds – Unite Brass Band

Wakefield

Angus

Jersey

Leeds

Edinburgh

London – Waltham Forest

By Keith Hatch

Photos by Mark Harvey, Mark Thomas and regional Unite and union activists