Every year, we mark International Workers’ Memorial Day by drawing attention to the horrendous number of workers killed or injured while doing their jobs. In the UK alone, around 50,000 people die every year from work-related illnesses and accidents, and many more suffer ill health and injuries.  For many of our members, stress is the biggest concern, often caused by overwork.  Others are at greater risk because of who they are: workplace equality can be as important as robust health and safety measures in ensuring the welfare of all. Everyone should take health and safety seriously, and look out for vulnerable colleagues.

Your Union is active in helping to keep everyone safe. We are represented on the University’s  Health, Safety and Welfare committee, and stewards are trained to deal with health and safety issues locally. Advice and support is available from Will Tierney, our new Health and Safety Officer, but also from UNISON expertise at local and national level.

For more information, and for details on how you can mark the day yourself, visit these links:Remember the Dead and Fight for the Living on this year’s International Workers Memorial Day

Details of this year’s local activities are yet to be finalised – in the past there has usually been a rally outside the Town Hall to mark a minute’s silence from 12pm – but we will keep you informed as and when information becomes available.

A BIT OF HISTORY:

The American AFL-CIO union was the first to declare 28th April “Workers’ Memorial Day”, in 1970. The day has been an international labour movement event since 1989, and was introduced to Britain in 1992.