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| Graeme Farquhar and Donna Clark |
The event was organised by Aberdeen Trades Union Council along with Aberdeen City Council. Vice-president, Donna Clark laid a wreath on behalf of the ATUC
Speaking at the event, ATUC President, Graeme Farquhartold those gathered that this year’s theme for International Workers Memorial Day is health and safety is a fundamental workers’ right and this year it is even more important with Covid 19 being with us.
"This pandemic has exposed an occupational crisis in workplaces not only here but worldwide. Workers have been denied basic health and safety protection in the workplace," said Graeme.
He highlighted that in the UK there have been 130 000 breaches of Covid guidelines in the workplace but with the Health and Safety Executive already cut to the bare minimum with the Conservative government’s austerity measures in recent years and now being so poorly resourced, there have been no prosecutions to date and this has resulted in many Covid outbreaks in workplaces.
"We heard David Cameron in the past talking about cutting red tape in health and safety and this continues to the present day," he warned.
"Workers
don’t die in tragic accidents at work, they die because the employer decides
that profit is more important than health and safety," slammed Graeme.
"During this pandemic the NHS has put all its resources into beating Covid and this has led to people being unable or unwilling to attend routine appointments at the hospital. This has caused large numbers of cases of serious illnesses not being diagnosed .
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Ann Joss lays a wreath in memory of those who lost their lives in the Stonehaven train crash |
"We mourn for the many who have died in this pandemic, many of whose deaths were avoidable if the right protections and PPE had been in place.
"We must fight now to ensure that those suffering from the effects of covid are treated with compassion by their employers and that their employment rights are upheld.
"We must ensure that when we come out of covid that worker’s health and safety rights are put before the economics of the employer as this is a fundamental workers right."
In a particularly poingnant address, the RMT's Ann Joss paid a moving tribute to her colleagues who were killed in the Stonehaven train derailment in August of last year. Train driver, Brett McCullough and conductor, Donald Dinnie as well as passenger Christopher Stuchbury lost their lives when the Aberdeen to Glasgow train came off the tracks after severe flooding. Ann laid a wreath in their memory.
Unite's Tommy Campbell and Councillor Yvonne Allan from Aberdeen City Council also said a few words.
Graeme Farquhar concluded the event by reading a poem he wrote.
ASBESTOS
It started with a little cough
To the doctor she was off
Do not worry its only the flu
But the cough it got louder and grew
Back to the doctor to examine her chest
Sent to a specialist because they would know best
Asbestosis in the lung
And you so very young
She asked about what treatment she could get
The specialist said we have no cure yet
She asked where she got this awful blight
He told her from washing her builder husband’s clothes at night
But doctors have been fooled for years by employers’ talk
And for them to blame someone else is not a shock
Blame someone else to save some cash
Some would say it is seems a bit harsh
But most employers they don’t care
As long as they can keep their big cash share
She worked as a cleaner for 20 years
Pushing a trolley round the hospital for her peers
Thumping against walls and asbestos lagged pipes
She used to wash them down with her big hand wipes
But the employers they got their wish
As she believed the specialist
For months she suffered severe pain
And her body it began to drain
At 52 she was taken from us
And typical of her she caused no fuss
Husband daughter and a son
Compensation they got none
Left behind because the employers don’t care
I say jail one for life and give them a scare
Demolition and asbestos removal in a local school
The contractors they broke all the safety rules
The supervisors of the job they took no blame
They should now hang their heads in shame
Lessons learned they always say
But 5000 asbestos deaths a year we are having to pay
So who can we blame
and name and shame
In Russia and China asbestos they still mine
We should send to them a short line
We must get them to submit
And the asbestos trade they must quit
No more cheating no more lies
Stop this carnage so no more die.
Graeme Farquhar Unite the Union.
Aberdeen City Council also commemorated Workers' Memorial Day by lighting the front of Marischall College in purple and held their own event.
Click here to see the very powerful video produced by Aberdeen City Council and ATUC for Workers Memorial Day 2021.
