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House of Commons,
London.,
SW1A 0AA

Dear ...........,

International Workers Memorial Day 2006

Themes: Union workplaces: safer workplaces *
Global ban on Asbestos

You may already be aware that 28th April each year has been designated as International Workers Memorial Day by trade unions worldwide since 1990, by the ICFTU since 1996 and recognised by the ILO as World Day for Safety and Health at Work in 2001. Last year there were at least 10,000 events in 100 countries involving 6 million people including a large number in the UK. Workers Memorial Day is our opportunity to mark the fact that over 2 million people are killed worldwide by their own work or as a result of someone else’s work activity.

In Britain on 28 April we Remember the Dead and Fight for the Living by wearing purple forget-me-knot ribbons, holding a minute’s silence in workplaces, marches, rallies and multi-faith services. We remember the 192 people who died in the sea at Zeebruge when the Herald of Free Enterprise capsized, the 167 who died in the fire on the Piper Alpha oil platform, and the 86 people who died in 5 separate rail crashes since 1998 and the 22 chinese cockle pickers drowned in Morecambe Bay in 2004. Besides these and other disasters that kill large numbers of people, there is as steady tally of workers killed whilst at work every year which has hovered around the 220--250 mark for the past few years.

The official HSE statistics for Great Britain record that 220 workers died of injuries sustained at work, and almost 1,900 died on the asbestos cancer mesothelioma and 6,000 for all occupational cancers. Estimates by other authorities put the figures for ill-health and deaths from work-related illness far higher at 50,000 deaths for illnesses caused or exacerbated by work each year. (‘Job to Die for?’ Hazards report November 2005). In addition HSE fatality figures leave out the largest cause of work-related deaths, road traffic accidents which involve people driving as part of their work. Whatever the true figures, the fact is that work has a major effect on public health, injury and death and a great deal more needs to be done to prevent this. The costs of work related ill-health, injury and death are borne by the individuals and their families and by the state and not by the employers who caused the problems.

We ask you to use your position as an MP to support measures to make workplaces safer and healthier. To that end, on WMD we specifically ask you to:

• Support formal recognition of Workers Memorial Day by the government;

• Support amendments to the Corporate Killing Bill which will ensure that those responsible for decisions leading to death or serious injury/ill-health are held fully accountable for their actions;

• Support the urgent enactment of measures to make Directors legally responsible for health and safety (replacing ineffective voluntary codes of practice) which has recently been endorsed by the Health and Safety Commission;

• Challenge the portrayal of legislation on health and safety as mere ’red tape’ by business leaders and do not support the deregulation of health and safety;

• Champion measures to increase the rights of workers and of safety reps;

• Support the evidence-based effectiveness of enforcement action by the HSE and Local Authorities and support increased funding for their work.

• Wear a forget-me-knot to Remember all those who have died – order one from mail@gmhazards.org.uk

Yours sincerely,

Workers' Memorial Day Background Further Information

- Background to Workers Memorial Day pdf
- Safety Reps Guide to WMD pdf
- Latest H&S statistics more
- HSE’s strategy is informed by gross underestimation of harm caused by work, Hazards Report
- HSE’s shift away from inspections and enforcement, Hazards Report
Select Committee on Home Affairs and Work and Pensions Report on Corporate Killing Bill
- The TUC evidence to the Select Committee can be read on the TUC website