PROTEST AGAINST CASUALISATION FORCES EMPLOYMENT AGENCY TO SHUT
Simon Jones Memorial Campaign | 26.04.2002 20:06
To commemorate the fourth anniversary of Simon Jones' death whilst working at Shoreham docks the Simon Jones Memorial Campaign called a national day of action against casualisation on 24th April.
.About 100 people gathered at noon outside the Personnel Selection offices in central Brighton with banners, balloons, mums with kids, students from Sussex University where Simon studied, a band, a local councillor and a dragon. The road was blocked, cars pumped horns in support and the public, who are aware of the campaign, showed their support.
Simon's parents, Chris and Anne, went into the offices to ask the manager to close for the day as a mark of respect and they eventually agreed. The police targeted two individuals for arrest for obstruction while Simon's parents were inside the offices.
Around twenty people from Liverpool's People not Profit demonstrated outside Reed employment agency, the management wanted to speak to some of the protesters and had a pointless conversation trying to persuade them that they were different from other agencies!
In Leeds Reeds employment agency must have got wind of the demonstration and was shut so protesters went to Addecco after postering Reeds.
Leicester No Sweat organised a street stall outside of Kelly's and Manpower employment agencies, they distributed leaflets on sweatshop conditions and workers rights with campaign balloons and stickers .
Bristol saw a vigil in Victoria Square and a wreath laying ceremony at the Workers Memorial Column attended by Simon's relatives and supporters of the campaign.
In the evening in London a picket was held outside the Building Industry awards at the Grosvenor Hotel on Park Lane. The diners from companies including those with convictions for health and safety issues inc. killing their staff, were handed leaflets on Simon's case and the issues surrounding casualisation.
Two people managed to get inside the event and left a message for Rory Bremner who was attending the event, he called later asking for a statement he could read out to the guests. During the evening he made constant references to Health and Safety issues and highlighted the dodgy companies who sat in the room.
Events were also organised for Bristol, London, Middlesbrough, Glasgow, Oxford and Sheffield and at a consulting engineers in Kent.
This is still as relevant an issue as it was the day Simon was killed, according to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) data. There has been a 23% increase in the number of deaths reported to the HSE in the eleven month period between 1 April 2001 and 28 February 2002 compared to the whole of the previous year.
Thank you to all those who helped make this day so successful.
Simon's parents, Chris and Anne, went into the offices to ask the manager to close for the day as a mark of respect and they eventually agreed. The police targeted two individuals for arrest for obstruction while Simon's parents were inside the offices.
Around twenty people from Liverpool's People not Profit demonstrated outside Reed employment agency, the management wanted to speak to some of the protesters and had a pointless conversation trying to persuade them that they were different from other agencies!
In Leeds Reeds employment agency must have got wind of the demonstration and was shut so protesters went to Addecco after postering Reeds.
Leicester No Sweat organised a street stall outside of Kelly's and Manpower employment agencies, they distributed leaflets on sweatshop conditions and workers rights with campaign balloons and stickers .
Bristol saw a vigil in Victoria Square and a wreath laying ceremony at the Workers Memorial Column attended by Simon's relatives and supporters of the campaign.
In the evening in London a picket was held outside the Building Industry awards at the Grosvenor Hotel on Park Lane. The diners from companies including those with convictions for health and safety issues inc. killing their staff, were handed leaflets on Simon's case and the issues surrounding casualisation.
Two people managed to get inside the event and left a message for Rory Bremner who was attending the event, he called later asking for a statement he could read out to the guests. During the evening he made constant references to Health and Safety issues and highlighted the dodgy companies who sat in the room.
Events were also organised for Bristol, London, Middlesbrough, Glasgow, Oxford and Sheffield and at a consulting engineers in Kent.
This is still as relevant an issue as it was the day Simon was killed, according to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) data. There has been a 23% increase in the number of deaths reported to the HSE in the eleven month period between 1 April 2001 and 28 February 2002 compared to the whole of the previous year.
Thank you to all those who helped make this day so successful.
Simon Jones Memorial Campaign
e-mail:
action@simonjones.org.uk
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