SAFETY CAMPAIGNERS FACE JAIL OVER PEACEFUL PROTEST
Simon Jones Memorial Campaign | 28.07.2002 23:21
Four supporters of the Simon Jones Memorial Campaign will appear in court this week following a protest last December at the Shoreham dock where Simon Jones was killed in 1998. The four face sentences of up to six months in jail for taking part in the peaceful protest which was staged to draw
attention to the continuing lack of any enforcement of safety regulations at the Euromin-owned dock.
attention to the continuing lack of any enforcement of safety regulations at the Euromin-owned dock.
Farah Bishnani, Crispin Dowler, Sarah McLaughlin and Carly North, all of Brighton, are being charged under section 241 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (consolidation) Act 1992 following a protest on 3rd December 2001. All the accused face a maximum sentence of six months in jail if found guilty. THE TRIAL IS SET TO START AT 10AM ON 29TH JULY 2002 AT WORTHING MAGISTRATES COURT, Christchurch Road, Worthing and is expected to last for three days.
Colin Chalmers of the Simon Jones Memorial Campaign says, "This dock is a death trap and now four people face going to jail for trying to get the authorities to do something about it. When we approached the Health and Safety Executive with first hand evidence of their own safety rules being broken we were told that we were "wasting a lot of their time with this" and our pleas for action were ignored. Dozens of firefighters recently fought a major blaze at the dock, where gates aren't locked, there are no security guards and there is nothing preventing small children form playing with heavy machinery.
"It's almost impossible to end up in court for killing your employees in this country. Since Simon's death in 1998 over 2,000 people have been killed at work and no director has gone to jail. Now we see Thatcher's anti-picketing laws being used against campaigners for who are trying to get
safety laws enforced. We don't think that trying to save lives is a crime and we'll be making that case very forcibly in court."
There will be a picket outside the court. For further details contact 01273 685913.
Colin Chalmers of the Simon Jones Memorial Campaign says, "This dock is a death trap and now four people face going to jail for trying to get the authorities to do something about it. When we approached the Health and Safety Executive with first hand evidence of their own safety rules being broken we were told that we were "wasting a lot of their time with this" and our pleas for action were ignored. Dozens of firefighters recently fought a major blaze at the dock, where gates aren't locked, there are no security guards and there is nothing preventing small children form playing with heavy machinery.
"It's almost impossible to end up in court for killing your employees in this country. Since Simon's death in 1998 over 2,000 people have been killed at work and no director has gone to jail. Now we see Thatcher's anti-picketing laws being used against campaigners for who are trying to get
safety laws enforced. We don't think that trying to save lives is a crime and we'll be making that case very forcibly in court."
There will be a picket outside the court. For further details contact 01273 685913.
Simon Jones Memorial Campaign
e-mail:
action@simonjones.org.uk
Homepage:
www.simonjones.org.uk
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