Workers honoured in solemn ceremony on Workers Memorial Day

Commemorative wreaths were laid out as tributes in the lobby of Parliament yesterday for Workers Memorial Day in memory of people who lost their lives at work.

The theme for the ceremony this year was ‘Dangerous substances – get them out of the workplace’.

Representatives from a cross-section of Gibraltar’s workforce laid wreaths one-by-one beneath the plaque commemorating workers in the lobby of Parliament.

These included Unite the Union, the Ministry of Defence, Royal Gibraltar Police, the Gibraltar Defence Police, the city Fire and Rescue service, the airfield Fire and Rescue service, the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, the Borders and Coastguard Agency, Interserve, the prison service, HM Customs, the Port Authority, GHA nurses and the ambulance service, elderly care agency and the construction industry.

Additionally, wreaths were laid by the Governor Lieutenant General Edward Davis and the Speaker of Parliament Adolfo Canepa.

Addressing a gathering of local dignitaries and politicians, the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said: “I make no bones of the fact that I am the grandson of a man who died at work.”

“This day really matters to me,” he said underscoring the importance of marking the day in this way.

Highlighting how the Royal Gibraltar Regiment this year celebrates its 80th anniversary, he paid tribute to those Gibraltarians and other British who “put themselves at risk in the protection of this great fortress, this great home of ours”.

Unite the Union official Christian Duo said one worker dies every 15 seconds worldwide and exclaimed “that’s shocking”.

Locally, Mr Duo said Unite can be proud of the measures it is taking as he highlighted the ongoing campaign to ensure that health and safety standards are met throughout Gibraltar.