IWW members attended the pre-event outside the library last Saturday. We joined the event organised by local Unison activists. We produced our own flyer which we'd like to share with you as well as alert you to the remembrance service conducted by Rev Neil Richards, guest speakers from UNISON and other unions, and details about the forthcoming IWMD event at St. Phillips Church, in Birmingham on 28 April. are with you.
Healthy and Safe at work?
Remember the dead, Fight For the living!
International Workers Memorial Day (IWMD) takes place all over the world on 28 April each year. In the UK last year 77 people were killed in the construction industry in the UK, many more people in other industries died from accidents at work and occupational diseases, many of which could have been prevented. Let’s ensure that tragic loss and suffering is used to campaign for healthier and safer work.
If you leave it to the powers that be …
We have Health and Safety laws and company policies, which can offer protection but they don’t always go far enough or get implemented properly. Health and Safety in the workplace costs money and time, and hits profits so bosses inevitably try to avoid their responsibilities. When they do assess how acceptable a risk is they may make judgements that workers who have to take the risks may not share. Government is funded by big business hence cuts in health and safety inspectors and poor enforcement of health and safety breaches.
How to win change
Experience shows the best way to improve health and safety and working conditions generally is to organise with your workmates on the job. They will have a good practical understanding of the hazards and the risks they face. If we take action and apply pressure on management directly ourselves, we’re more likely to hold them to account and get results. Governments more readily enact more worker friendly laws under this kind of pressure. The I.W.W. union promotes this approach best as well as offering advice and practical support (see last page).
For rest of article go to
http://www.wmiww.org
Remember the dead, Fight For the living!
International Workers Memorial Day (IWMD) takes place all over the world on 28 April each year. In the UK last year 77 people were killed in the construction industry in the UK, many more people in other industries died from accidents at work and occupational diseases, many of which could have been prevented. Let’s ensure that tragic loss and suffering is used to campaign for healthier and safer work.
If you leave it to the powers that be …
We have Health and Safety laws and company policies, which can offer protection but they don’t always go far enough or get implemented properly. Health and Safety in the workplace costs money and time, and hits profits so bosses inevitably try to avoid their responsibilities. When they do assess how acceptable a risk is they may make judgements that workers who have to take the risks may not share. Government is funded by big business hence cuts in health and safety inspectors and poor enforcement of health and safety breaches.
How to win change
Experience shows the best way to improve health and safety and working conditions generally is to organise with your workmates on the job. They will have a good practical understanding of the hazards and the risks they face. If we take action and apply pressure on management directly ourselves, we’re more likely to hold them to account and get results. Governments more readily enact more worker friendly laws under this kind of pressure. The I.W.W. union promotes this approach best as well as offering advice and practical support (see last page).
For rest of article go to
http://www.wmiww.org 
