Leeds People Before Profit COVID 19 Action Group is building support for International Workers Memorial Day on Tuesday.
Tuesday (28 April 2020) is International Workers Memorial Day and the growing Leeds People Before Profit COVID19 Action Group which is bringing together workers, community groups and activists from across the city is organising to commemorate the day. Workers Memorial Day is organised annually by the TUC and is an international event to remember people who have lost their lives at work.
This year trade unions are calling on people across the country to hold a minute’s silence on Tuesday at 11am for all health, care and other workers who have died of coronavirus.
Jane Aitchison, President of Leeds Trade Union Council and Co-chair of the Leeds People Before Profit COVID 19 Action Group will be representing workers across the city in laying a wreath at the Workers’ Memorial Stone in Victoria Gardens (outside the Central Library and Art Gallery on the Headrow) at 11am on Tuesday.
At the same time in other parts of the city people – whether working from home or in their workplace or in their community – will be holding similar events to remember all those workers who have died and at the same time sending a message to the government that they demand testing and personal protective equipment (PPE) now to prevent further deaths of workers on the front line in the fight against COVID 19 and in serving our communities.
In advance of International Worker Memorial Day Jane said:
“In 2018/19 147 UK workers died tragically at work. We have lost more than 150 NHS, care workers, postal workers and bus drivers in the last month alone to COVID19 – including several here in Leeds.
“I will be paying my respects on Tuesday – we always say mourn the dead and fight like hell for the living – we have to do that. These workers cannot be allowed to have died in vain. We need PPE, testing and increased safety for all working during this pandemic“.
This post is based on a press release issued by Leeds People Before Profit COVID 19 Action Group
