But on the eve of all this pomp and politics, there will be a moment of reflection and an opportunity to take action as part of a worldwide moment to remember those who have lost their lives at work. Workers’ Memorial Day is held on 28 April every year, when workers all over the world and their representatives hold events, demonstrations, vigils and a whole host of other activities to mark the day. This day, although intended as a chance to remember workers who have died in the course of their work, is also an opportune time to both take stock and take action for the living when it comes to our health and safety in the workplace.
This year’s Workers’ Memorial Day is all the more pertinent in the UK as last month’s Conservative coalition budget managed to undermine the health and safety of workers by implementing in full Lord Young’s recommendations. Lord Young’s report accepts and, much worse, acts upon the myths and misconceptions around health and safety and instead focuses on the notion of ‘compensation culture’. The proposals from the report are a missed opportunity to act to reduce high levels of injury, illness and death caused at work in the UK. Contrary to the point perpetuated by the Conservatives, health and safety is not simply something for a former century, workers in less developed countries or an issue that only affects heavy industry.
Every year in the UK around 20,000 people die prematurely as a result of their work and at any one time over two million people are suffering ill health because of their jobs. Health and safety is just as much an issue for offices and shops, workplaces that Lord Young dismisses as ‘low risk’, despite the evidence of high levels of work related ill health in these areas. The ConDem cuts to local government budgets will also mean that the health and safety monitoring and inspection of workplaces will be scaled back.
Yet the sweeping implementation of the recommendations by the government is as predictable as it is disappointing – it should come as no surprise from a government that prioritises tax cuts and deregulation for corporations whilst reducing workers’ rights. Lest we forget, this is a coalition that in its ‘Budget for Growth’ frequently identifies employment law as a ‘burden for business’ stating that ‘in terms of where the greatest burdens lie, business surveys identify employment law, health and safety, tax and planning’. We should be clear that when this government talks about launching ‘a public thematic review to reduce the stock of regulation’ and about ‘making further changes to employment legislation to reduce the costs to business of compliance’ what it could likely translate to in practice for thousands of ordinary workers is a risk of injury, illness or even death whilst simply carrying out their job. Ultimately, the traditional Tory agenda of reducing costs to business equates to reducing the protection of workers.
While remembering those who have died in the course of their work on this year’s Workers’ Memorial Day we should also highlight the problems facing today’s workers and the potentially damning consequences of this government’s drive to turn back time both on health and safety legislation and employment rights.
For further information on Workers’ Memorial Day and what you could do to mark it please go here.