The following details have been supplied by the TUC:
More than one hundred events involving thousands of workers took place around Britain to commemorate Workers' Memorial Day. The 28 April event also saw record numbers around the world participate, with over 60 countries having already filed reports. Commemorations were also held throughout England, Scotland and Wales, with well attended events in towns and cities including Bradford, Bristol, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Keighley, Goole, Immingham, Sheffield, Telford, Manchester, Liverpool, Sunderland, Durham, Hartlepool, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Cardiff. Unions and campaigners held protests, rallies, marches, wreath-laying ceremonies and observed a minute's silence to mark the event. Unite general secretary Len McCluskey commented: 'As the coalition's cuts to people's living standards become a grim reality and the wave of public sector job losses ebb into homes throughout Britain, never has it been more important to celebrate International Workers' Memorial Day and the achievements hard won over the last century for working people.' UNISON's general secretary, Dave Prentis, who participated in a minute's silence at midday, said: 'The government's cuts will cost lives. Too many workers are still suffering because of workplace injuries, yet the government is adding to the risks by piling pressure on staff and enforcement agencies.' Grahame Smith, STUC general secretary, said 'we face a huge challenge as budgetary cuts imposed on the HSE by the coalition government will mean less proactive enforcement will, we believe lead to more accidents, greater risk of exposure to dangerous substances such as asbestos and more incidences of occupational ill health.' GMB general secretary Paul Kenny said: 'The road to recognition of Workers' Memorial Day is paved with the broken bones, the blood, shattered lives and premature deaths of thousands of working people.'
