People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin said,
“International Workers Memorial Day is an opportunity to reflect on those who have been killed, injured or made ill while doing their job.
Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has intentionally murdered health workers, journalists, teachers and those delivering humanitarian aid to a starving population in unimaginable numbers.
The death toll in Gaza is the responsibility of the apartheid regime and those complicit with it, the US and British governments and leaders of the European Union.
This year IWMD also puts a spotlight on the increasing number of workers losing their lives, becoming injured or ill as a consequence of destructive climate change.
Across Ireland too many workers continue to lose their lives, face injury and illness from unsafe working conditions.
Trade unions have been the central force campaigning for stronger health and safety protections in workplaces North and South.
Stronger and expanded trade union representation is crucial to robust protections for workers on the job.
The Stormont Executive has followed a Tory anti-trade union approach for decades by removing trade union representation from statutory and consultative bodies, and, by putting through yearly budgets undermining public services and safe staffing levels.
The Stormont Assembly ignored the need to strengthen workers rights for decades then proceeded to vote down progressive trade union legislation moved by People Before Profit.
In recent years workers and trade unions, particularly in the North, have made their presence felt in the face of relentless division and attacks from Westminster and Stormont.
This Workers Memorial Day People Before Profit are proud to join trade unions in remembering all those killed and injured at work in Gaza, across Ireland and globally.
Today, and at Saturday May 4 International Workers’ Day marches and rallies, we will renew our pledge to ‘fight like hell for the living’ for a world freed from war and exploitation.”
