REMEMBERING GRENFELL

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: september 2017 :: RMTnews 25 RMT took part in the Notting Hill Carnival last month and the minute’s silence in memory of those who died in the Grenfell Tower fire. At 3pm on the Monday’s of carnival sound systems fell silent and the carnival procession paused to remember the victims of the devastating tower block fire. Near the charred high-rise, firefighters removed their helmets and bowed their heads outside North Kensington fire station. The moment was concluded with a spontaneous round of applause and cheers from the hundreds of thousands of revellers celebrating the bank holiday weekend. RMT has backed the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) call for the inquiry team and the government to listen to firefighters when the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower disaster gets underway. There are concerns that the inquiry will only focus on what happened on the night of the fire and not about the wider safety regime and how such a devastating incident could even take place. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that with the 30th anniversary of the Kings Cross fire coming up in November RMT was acutely aware of the need for trade union involvement to ensure disasters like this did not happen again. “We need a full enquiry involving the firefighters and victims at every stage, we all owe it to those who died and in order to prevent a second Grenfell. “RMT has had to fight hard to retain the safety measures put in place following the Kings Cross fire following attempts to water them down. “We now stand with the FBU to ensure lessons are learnt from Grenfell and we never have to witness such scenes ever again,” he said. REMEMBERING GRENFELL Union calls for trade unions and those involved to be part of the enquiry into the disasater