Olympics workers join protest march

WORKERS on London’s Olympics site stopped work to join a protest march and a ommemorative event in Stratford to mark Workers Memorial Day (WMD) on Wednesday 28th April.
The events remembered the two workers who have lost their lives on work associated with the Olympics project and to call for action to end construction’s deadly record.
The workers stopped work to join a short protest march in Pudding Mill Lane in Stratford at 11.30am and then marched to the Westfield site where a commemorative event will be held with workers from all over the Olympics works.
Shaun Scurry, 39, from Kirkby, died following an incident in December 2009 when he was reportedly trapped between a steal beam and an industrial lift at the Westfield Olympics shopping centre site, Stratford. He was employed by Firesafe Installations.
Henry Sheridan, 58, from Luton, was killed in December 2008 when an excavator bucket fell on him while working on the Olympics rail extension at West Ham. He was employed by Lorclon Ltd.
Tony O’Brien, National Secretary Construction Safety Campaign, said: “The legacy of the London Olympics must not be that of even more construction workers having lost their lives. The industry still kills far too many workers, either in incidents at work or from ill-health in later life such as lung diseases and cancers, especially cancer caused by asbestos exposure.”
Commenting on employment on the Olympics site, Tony O’Brien added: “There is far too much sub-contracting and employment through employment agencies on the Olympics project and this raises real concerns over health and safety.
“The original employment agreement was meant to ensure direct employment for the majority and this should be the standard form of employment there from now on.”
Workers Memorial Day is a global day to mark the damage work does – globally every year more people are killed at work or by work activities than die in wars. Workers Memorial Day’s motto is “Remember the dead – but fight for the living!”