Trades unionists convoy marks international workers memorial day and calls for PPE for key workers

A CONVOY of local trades unionists took to the roads today, international workers memorial day, to call for better health and safety protection, including personal protective equipment, for all essential workers. The convoy stopped near the hospital to hold a minutes silence to commemorate the deaths of all those workers who have died unnecessarily because of Covid 19.

International Workers Memorial Day is held annually around the world to remember all those who have died at work, or from work related illness. This year the day takes place during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is a sad fact that many people have died of Covid-19 after contracting
the disease at work.

Health workers, postal workers, bus drivers and many others have tragically lost their lives.

The slogan of International Workers Memorial Day is “Remember the Dead and fight for the living.”

A group called “People Before Profit: Health Worker Covid Activists Group” facebook.com/healthworkercoronavirusactivists that was launched by a group of health workers over concerns about the lack of Personal Protective Equipment and testing for health workers have called for the day to be a day of protest as well as remembrance.

Karen Reissmann, an NHS worker who set up the campaign said, “I am deeply saddened that over 129 health and social care workers have now lost their lives in this crisis trying to do their best to care for others. But there is hypocrisy by our government who want to applaud frontline workers on the one hand, but are failing to ensure those same people are safe at work on the other.”

“On Tuesday we mourned the dead and marked their lives with a minute’s silence but we also need to raise our voices in protest, observing social distancing of course, to say that key workers must have adequate PPE and available mass testing. This government has fallen far short of what’s been needed in response to this crisis. We have to act to prevent more deaths.”

Other local trades unionists held one minutes silence at work or at home to commemorate the dead and to commit to fight for the living.