The statistics are horrifying. Around 51,500 deaths, over 621,000 injuries and millions made ill by work in Great Britain every year. And almost all work deaths are due to employers' mismanagement..
"Inequality and discrimination at work mean that the most vulnerable workers - the poorest, women, young, ethnic minority, migrant, LBGT workers - are at more risk of being made ill, injured or killed due to work" states GM Hazards, which, alongside Families Against Corporate Killers and the North West Trade Unions, is organising this year's International Workers' Memorial Day Rally in Lincoln Square, Manchester on Friday, 28th April.
The 2017 theme is Inequality in Work, with the worldwide slogan 'Remember the Dead; Fight for the Living...'
"Badly paid work guarantees more than hardship" GM Hazards explains "Low pay goes hand in hand with low health and safety standards, occupational injuries and diseases like diabetes and cancer frequently come with the job. Work cancer is mostly a blue collar condition as are most of the major workplace killers.
"For most work health and safety problems, the risk goes up as your pay goes down" it adds "It is pretty obvious why. Low pay affects your choices: whether you work more overtime, extra shifts, report an injury, take sick leave, or can raise health and safety issues without getting the sack. And it leaves you in jobs that typically have the insecure, dirty and dangerous hallmarks of risky work, or are mind numbingly dull and depressing... Work does not have to be like this and trade unions organise to make it better..."*
The message going out from the Manchester Rally, and around the world, will be 'No-one should ever die just for going to work' and 'Stop it employers/government, you're killing us!'...
International Workers' Memorial Day Rally
Friday 28th April 12noon-1pm
Lincoln Square, Brazennose Street
Manchester M2 5LN
There will be a reading of the names of those killed at work, a laying of wreaths and one minute's silence.
Speakers: Trade Union Safety Reps; Tracey Seward, Families Against Corporate Killers; Greater Manchester Asbestos Victims Support Group; Debbie Abrahams, Shadow Secretary of State for DWP; Andy Burnham, Labour Party Mayoral candidate, and Leo McCann, Trauma in Emergency Workers.
All welcome, especially families of those killed at work. People are being asked to bring banners and wreaths
After the Rally everyone is invited to the People's History Museum to visit the exhibition Fair enough? We are all sickened by inequality at work...
For further details see the Facebook site We Didn't Vote To Die at Work – click here
* See Hazards Magazine article Low Paid Work Comes With High Risks – click here
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