INTERNATIONAL Workers Memorial Day was commemorated at the Obelisk in Harlow Town Centre this week with Labour PPC Suzy Stride and Labour Councillors Maggie Hulcoop, Edna Stevens and Waida Forman.

UCATT UF044 branch secretary and “blacklisted” bricklayer Allan Jolley led the march to St Pauls church hall with the wreath, plus Harlow TUC secretary David Forman carried the banner with Bob Edwards of the NUT.

At St Pauls church hall the hymn Jerusalem was sung along with a poem titled “I looked the other way” read by Suzy Stride.

Allan gave an emotional account of his experiences in construction.

David Forman made a short speech in which he raised his concerns regarding “The decline of safety brought about by temporary labour, bogus self-employment, zero hours contracts and privatisation”.

A list of six workers dying in Essex this year was read out and a one-minute silence observed for them, Bob Crow and Tony Benn.