April 28th marks Workers’ Memorial Day when we unite under Mary Harris’ mantra to “Remember the dead,” and “fight like hell for the living.”
The day commemorates those who have died or have been seriously injured at work. Originating in 1970, The American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisations declared the 28th of April a day to honour the hundreds of thousands of people injured at work or in the workplace every year. The date has been marked in the UK since 1992.
The theme of the 2015 Memorial Day was: "removing exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace" in light of threats such as asbestos, which many UK workers are tragically exposed to without protection, and often without knowledge of the effects of asbestos. Of the thousands of workplace fatalities reported to the HSE each year, 12,000 are from lung diseases.
On Tuesday 28th April, the Merseyside Joint Trade Unions hosted an event in Liverpool to commemorate International Workers’ Memorial Day, with speakers including representatives from local Trade Unions.
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) state, “Every year more people are killed at work than in wars. Most don't die of mystery ailments, or in tragic "accidents". They die because an employer decided their employees’ safety just wasn't that important a priority. Workers’ Memorial Day commemorates these workers.”
Liverpool-based Principal Lawyer stated, “Slater and Gordon has a strong history of supporting workers and pays tribute and commemorates those past workers who have helped lay the foundation for workers today.”
Slater and Gordon Lawyers are a leading asbestos claims law firm with 1,450 staff and offices in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield, Milton Keynes, Bristol, Derby, Merseyside, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Halifax, Watford, Wakefield and meeting rooms in Bramhall, Cheshire and in Hull, Yorkshire.