Today we remember all those who have died as a result of work and promise to fight for all those at risk.
GMB trade union mark International Workers Memorial Day 2021
International Workers Memorial Day is a day when we remember all those who have died because of work. In the UK since records were kept, more than 50,000 people have died because of exposure to hazardous substances, to chemicals and toxic working practices, including 5,000 from across the North West.
We remember those killed in incidents because of their work, in incidents at sea, from air crashes, those killed on the roads and on the railways and we also remember those who die because of work-related suicide.
This year we also remember the 150,000 people in the UK who have died because of Covid19, including more than 14,000 workers. We particularly remember the scandal of this government and their mishandling of PPE provision.
Today we remember all those who have died as a result of work and promise to fight for all those at risk. The GMB trade union North West & Irish region have a great track record of training our stewards to be good health & safety reps. We educate them to challenge employers to do the right thing to fulfil their legal duty of care and to protect their workforce and communities.
GMB union regional senior organiser, Giovanna Holt, asks that we take the time to remember our members who have been working on the front line as key workers. Union members who are just cleaners, just work in a supermarket or just drive a bus. The GMB is proud of what our members have achieved for us through the Covid crisis.
