UNISON had organised a IWMD pre-event in Chamberlain Square on April 19th, which saw a reading of the names of those killed at work in Birmingham and the West Midlands throughout the years, the laying of wreaths and a two minute silence, a remembrance service conducted by Rev Neil Richards, and guest speakers from UNISON and other unions (see  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/birmingham/2008/04/397534.html).

UNISON had also written to MPs urging the parliament to recognise the April 28th each year as a national day of remembrance and asking them to wear a purple ribbon to mark the day.

Figures compiled by the Health and Safety Executive show that between 220 and 250 people die in the UK each year as a result of their work. Around another 1,000 or so more die while driving to or from work. And between 20,000 and 50,000 deaths each year are caused by work-related ill health, including respiratory diseases, various cancers, and heart disease. Last year, 77 people were killed in the construction industry alone.

For more information, see UNISON's page on IWMD:
 http://www.unison.org.uk/safety/pages_view.asp?did=4783