Tag Archives: Minute’s silence

2021, 2021 Europe, 2021 Scotland, Events listing

Scotland: Join the STUC International Workers’ Memorial Day 1 minute silence on Wednesday 28 April

STUC International Workers Memorial Day Commemoration, Wednesday 28 April at 10:45am

Every year more people are killed at work than in wars. Most don’t die of mystery ailments, or in tragic “accidents”. They die because an employer decided their safety just wasn’t that important a priority. International Workers’ Memorial Day (IWMD) 28 April commemorates those workers.

This year’s event is made even more poignant due to the work-related loss of life due to the COVID Pandemic.

Chair: Rozanne Foyer: STUC General Secretary
Pauline Rourke: CWU
Gary Smith: GMB
Phyllis Craig: Action for Asbestos Scotland
Professor Andy Waterson, Scottish Hazards 

We will be holding a 1 minute silence at 11am.  Register

2021, 2021 Europe, 2021 UK, Events listing

UK: Len McCluskey and Unite families to ‘walk the wall’ as union backs call for Covid public inquiry

Where: National Covid Memorial Wall, North Wing, Lambeth Palace Rd, South Bank, London SE1 3FT

When: From 11:30 hours, Wednesday 28 April

The general secretary of the UK’s leading union, Unite, is joining Unite families who lost loved ones to Covid-19 to walk the memorial wall this International Workers’ Memorial Day.

Len McCluskey and the families will also join with TUC representatives to observe the minute’s silence for International Workers’ Memorial Day, which will be held at midday.

Unite is throwing its weight behind calls for a statutory public inquiry into the government’s handling of the pandemic, recently rejected by ministers, and is backing the campaign for the National Covid Memorial Wall in Lambeth, south London, to be made permanent.

The memorial wall is made up of 150,000 individual painted hearts, one for every UK person who lost their life to the disease in the past year. The wall is around half a kilometre long and takes around 10 minutes to walk.

Len McCluskey will join Hannah and Leshie, who both lost their fathers, both key workers, to the disease last year. Hannah’s father caught the virus while travelling to his work in a factory, while Leshie’s father was one of 27 London bus drivers who died of the disease between March and May last year.

Speaking ahead of his visit, Len McCluskey said: “You cannot help but be moved by this campaign. In the past year, 150,000 people lost their lives, leaving 150,000 families and countless loved ones with huge holes in their lives. For all those who have sacrificed and suffered through this terrible time, we owe it to them to walk this wall.

“The scale of loss in the UK is so high relative to other countries that the reasons for this have to be looked at by a public inquiry. The people we lost must be remembered and honoured, and the whole country, including the government, has to learn the lessons of this crisis. 

“Dozens of Unite members died from this dreadful sickness and they will be in my thoughts today. It will be a huge privilege to walk the wall with Unite family members. I am so grateful to them for the work that they are doing on behalf of all those who lost their lives, and the bereaved who remain, to deliver not just a place of national remembrance of this time, but justice.

“Unite offers the bereaved families our full support in securing a permanent home for this incredible wall, and in the continued battle for the full and frank public inquiry the country needs.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Len McCluskey will walk the wall with members of the families of two Unite members who lost their lives to Covid-19:

Leshie Chandrapala, London

Leshie lost her father, Ranjith, to Covid-19 in April 2020.

Ranjith was one of the 27 bus drivers who died of Covid-19 in London between March and May 2020.

According to the Institute of Health Equity, bus drivers were more than twice as likely to die than other Londoners. Leshie wants a public inquiry into the decisions that led to her father’s death.

Hannah Brady, Manchester

Hannah’s father was a key worker in a factory when he contracted coronavirus.

He died at the age of 55 following 42 nights spent in intensive care.

Hannah fears that her dad was exposed to Covid-19 on public transport to and from work.

Hannah has received abuse online for talking about the loss of her father.

For media enquires ONLY contact Unite communications officer Ryan Fletcher on 07849 090215.

Email: ryan.fletcher@unitetheunion.org

Twitter: @unitetheunion Facebook: unitetheunion1 Instagram: unitetheunion Web: unitetheunion.org

Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest union with members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Len McCluskey.

Get involved

https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2021/april/len-mccluskey-and-unite-families-to-walk-the-wall-as-union-backs-call-for-covid-public-inquiry/

2020, 2020 UK, Events listing, News

UK: A moment of silence is the very least that we can do – Unison

Blog: A moment of silence is the very least that we can do

by Dave Prentis, Genreal Secretary, Unison

… the nation will fall silent at 11am to honour and remember all of the health, care and other key workers who have lost their lives to coronavirus.

It’s an opportunity for us all to take a moment to pay our respects and give thanks to for the lives of those who saved lives, kept key services running and the rest of the country safe. It’s also a further opportunity to show our love to their families, and to remind everyone of the real danger that key workers are placing themselves in to keep our country going and our communities safe.

Our union has been leading the calls for this commemoration which takes place on International Workers Memorial Day. Every year, this is an important date for our union – but never more so than this year. The risk of death should never be something which any of us have to consider as part of our working lives, but for too many workers that is the ongoing reality of the fight against COVID-19.So while we pay our respects to those who have lost their lives, we continue to fight for better protection at work for everyone who needs it – whether those at risk during the current crisis, or any worker whose life is put at risk by their working conditions.

This virus has had a profound impact on all of our lives, but there are clearly those who are particularly affected. This virus has had a disproportionate impact on older people, Black communities and those with prior health conditions. It has also had a huge impact on those whose vital work means they cannot stay at home, including so many UNISON members – taking care of our loved ones, educating our children, keeping our streets safe or making sure that vital food and supplies are delivered – who are putting themselves at risk to protect us all.

Every minute this pandemic continues, people are making extraordinary sacrifices to keep us safe and run our vital services.

That’s why we’ve issued this call for the whole country to take part and remember the sacrifices key workers have made. So wherever you are – at home or at work – please join us in a moment of silence at 11am tomorrow. To say thank you. To remember. To show our solidarity. To remember the dead, but also on International Workers Memorial Day, to fight for the living.

After all that key workers have already given to us all throughout this crisis, it is the very least that we can do.

Blog: A moment of silence is the very least that we can do | General secretary’s blog, News | News | UNISON National

2020, 2020 UK, Events listing, News, Videos

UK: Together we will remember them – The Labour Party

Video

28 April  marks International Workers’ Memorial Day.
Please join us in honouring the memory of those brave workers we have lost to coronavirus by observing a minute’s silence at 11am.

Together, we will remember them.

 

2020, 2020 Scotland, Events listing, News, Videos

Scotland: Government will join minute’s silence for health workers killed by Covid 19

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2020, 2020 UK, Events listing, News, Videos

UK: Minute’s silence to remember workers who have died of work related injuries and diseases – Prospect

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This year will be even more significant as we honour those who have died from #coronavirus.#IWMD20 #NeverForgotten pic.twitter.com/5nbPNRAyAj

2020, 2020 UK, Events listing, News, Videos

UK: Healthworkers call for action on Workers Memorial Day

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Healthworkers from all over the the United Kingdom call for everyone to join them for a minute’s silence at 11am on Tuesday April 28, Workers Memorial Day, to remember all the key workers who have died – but also to fight for the living. They want all workers to stop non-essential work that day and hold socially distanced protests to secure proper PPE, testing and tracing for all key workers. And without kit, there will be no care. The government has failed us – it’s time for the people to act.

Follow the growing healthworkers movement on Facebook

2020, 2020 UK, Events listing, graphics, News

UK: Remember Covid-19 dead on 28 April – UNISON

IWMD will give us the chance to remember the workers who have died because of COVID-19

Tuesday 28 April is International Workers’ Memorial Day, when we remember all those who have died because of their work – and renew our pledge to fight for the living.

In the year of coronavirus, this day of commemoration has never been more important. And that is why UNISON is asking the country to observe a minute’s silence, to remember all the health, care and other key workers who have already lost their lives to COVID-19.

The campaign for a minute’s silence at 11am next Tuesday was launched earlier this week by UNISON, the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives, which collectively represent more than a million NHS and public service workers, including porters, refuse collectors and care staff.


UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said it would be “the ultimate tribute to remember workers who’ve lost their lives and put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe and vital services running.

“Every year, the sacrifice of workers around the world is recognised, but this year has a special significance because of the pandemic.

“Thousands of key staff are on the frontline while the rest of us are in lockdown. That’s why we’ve issued this call for the whole country to take part and remember the sacrifices they’ve made. The best tribute we can all pay them is to stay inside to protect the NHS.”

Thousands of workers across the UK are caring for those suffering from COVID-19 or delivering vital public services that are vital for us all – potentially putting their own safety and even their own lives at risk.

In many cases, these workers know that, by simply doing their jobs, they are putting themselves at risk.

The risks faced by those working in the health and social care sectors has already been acknowledged, but there are also others – those working in childcare, police services and refuse collection, in hostels and rescue centres, in gas, water and electricity, and in transport services among them – whose work and dedication often goes unacknowledged.

Tragically, some of these workers have already died. In some cases, more could have been done to protect them, whether by better enforcement of social distancing, looking after workers with underlying health conditions or provision of adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep them safe.

While improvements have been seen in some areas, more needs to be done – specifically in relation to assessing the risks our members are facing and ensuring that all staff who require it are getting the protective equipment needed to do the job safely.

UNISON has never been afraid to demand the highest standards for workers; we have not been afraid to speak out and hold the government to account on providing the right PPE when staff need it, and to hold employers to account who are not doing enough to keep their workers safe.

All of this adds to the importance of observing a minutes’ silence at 11am next Tuesday.

But other things that you can do include:

  • tweeting us, @unisontheunion, your pictures of public service workers, whether of yourself, your colleagues or even those you may not personally know, continuing to do the jobs that are keeping us all safe – although don’t go out especially to get these;
  • if you are having a problem getting the PPE you need to keep you safe, let us know here;
  • email any other COVID-19 safety related issues to healthandsafety@unison.co.uk.

Coronavirus: what you need to know

https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2020/04/remember-covid-19-dead-international-workers-memorial-day/

2020, 2020 Scotland, Events listing, News

Scotland: 28 April online event

International Workers Memorial Day Tuesday, 28th April 2020 #IWMD20

Scottish Union Learning

Online Tribute 10.30am

We remember those we have lost. We organise in their memory

National One Minute Silence 11.00am

A moment remember those who’ve sadly lost their lives at work over the past year; to pay tribute to the sacrifice of so many workers during the pandemic; and to thank all those who continue to do vital work at great risk.

Activities on the Day

  • Attend the 10.30 online ceremony
  • Observe the one minute silence
  • Attach a purple ‘twibbon’ to your social media profile to mark the day. (You can attach it ahead of time: https://twibbon.com/Support/intl-workers-memorial-day)
  • Continue to request that council and government buildings across Scotland fly their flags at half-mast or illuminate public buildings with purple lighting

Once you register you will be emailed a Zoom link to join in.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/international-workers-memorial-day-online-event-tickets-103319730094

2020, 2020 UK, Events listing, News

UK: Coronavirus minute’s silence to honour workers

A minute’s silence will be held across the United Kingdom on 28 April to remember all the health, care and other key workers who have lost their lives to coronavirus.

The campaign, launched by the health unions UNISON, the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives – who between them represent more than a million NHS and public service workers, including porters, refuse collectors and care staff – are urging politicians, employers, people at work and those on lockdown at home to join the tribute at 11am.

The minute’s silence – held on International Workers’ Memorial Day #iwmd20 – will allow everyone to pay their respects and give thanks for the lives of those whose work involved caring, saving lives, keeping key services running and the rest of the country safe, say the unions. The tribute is also a show of support for the families of those who have died.

The three unions are hoping the government and other organisations will get on board and join the campaign for there to be a minute’s silence on the day, which every year commemorates workers who have died around the globe.

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “This is the ultimate tribute to remember workers who’ve lost their lives and put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe and vital services running. Every year the sacrifice of workers around the world is recognised, but this year has a special significance because of the pandemic.

“Thousands of key staff are on the frontline while the rest of us are in lockdown. That’s why we’ve issued this call for the whole country to take part and remember the sacrifices they’ve made. The best tribute we can all pay them is to stay inside to protect the NHS.

“The minute’s silence is a thank you to all the workers including nurses, midwives, cleaners and care staff who’ve died from this devastating virus.”

Royal College of Nursing general secretary and chief executive Donna Kinnair said: “We’ve become used to hearing a great roar on a Thursday night for key workers, but this respectful silence will be a poignant reminder of the risks they run to keep us safe. I hope the public gets behind this with the same affection they show when applauding our people.

“The silence is a simple show of respect for those who have paid the very highest price, but their loved ones must know the levels of gratitude we feel as a nation and take some comfort from that.”

Royal College of Midwives chief executive and general secretary Gill Walton said: “We had expected 2020 to be a celebration of the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife but, although we actively applaud their service, this is not what we had imagined. Instead, across the country, midwives and maternity support workers are seeing the impact of coronavirus not only on the women in their care, but on their colleagues as well.

“We are proud to join UNISON and the RCN in this campaign and to recognise and remember those who we have lost.”

The minute’s silence will be held at 11am on Tuesday 28 April. The campaign hashtag for the minute’s silence is #neverforgotten.

UNISON news release.