The elected Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, joined with construction workers and trade unionists to take part in International Workers Memorial Day on Monday, 28th April. The Mayor laid a wreath at the Building Worker statue in Tower Hill in memory remember of all those killed at work.
Mayor Rahman said: “It is shocking that between 2007 and 2014, 345 construction workers have been killed at work in this country. Employers have a responsibility to ensure workers’ safety. We need government commitment and strong trade unions to make sure they live up to that responsibility.
“I am concerned that too often this Government sees protection at work as ‘a burden’ on business. In light of the revelations over the weekend of a reckless attitude to workers safety on the Crossrail development, and the bullying of trade unionists, I am proud that Tower Hamlets was the first local authority in the country to pledge not to award contracts to any company found guilty of blacklisting trade unionists.”