Remembering the dead, and fighting for the living – now and every day
GMB General Secretary Tim Roache writes on how it’s more important than ever that we mark this International Workers’ Memorial Day – remembering the dead and fighting for the living.
International Workers’ Memorial Day always brings mixed emotions. Tremendous sadness at the premature loss of our members and all workers around the world, and the devastation it causes for their families, friends and colleagues; tremendous pride in the spirit of our members in fighting to make things safer and the collective power when we come together to commemorate the day.
This year is no different and, in many ways, is so much worse because we’ve lost so many good people to this Covid pandemic and we can’t come together on Tuesday.
I’m so proud of our members and activists and our organisers who are supporting them, for facing this challenge whilst demanding and getting the protections they deserve. Our members are key workers in every sector and so many others are now either furloughed or doing the right things by working at home.
But that won’t stop us marking the day. It is only right that there is anger about the unnecessary and preventable deaths, the failure of government to act earlier and get it right and the toll it has taken on all key workers who are doing their very best to get us all through this.
So GMB are doing what we do best. We’re adapting to the circumstances, and we’re organising in new and different ways.
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Posted: 28th April 2020