ASBESTOS MEMORIAL OPENS IN EAST LONDON

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: may 2022 :: RMTnews 28 A new permanent memorial commemorating the lives of all the people who died as a result of exposure to asbestos was unveiled at a special remembrance ceremony last month on International Workers Memorial Day. The new stone carries two inscriptions, the first reads, “In memory of those who have lost their lives because of exposure to asbestos. In gratitude to those who fight to improve safety conditions for those workers and their families. Remember the dead and fight for the living” and on the other side it states, “Together showing our commitment to safer workplaces and communities”. Barking and Dagenham have seen an exceptionally high asbestos mortality rate, a marker of how hard the area has been hit by the legacy of the Cape Asbestos Factory, which operated in Barking from 1913 to 1968. Health and Safety Executive figures show that Barking and Dagenham is the worst borough in the country for the number of women dying from mesothelioma. So common was the harsh cough, that sounds somewhat like a dog barking, that the phrase “Barking cough” was widely used to describe the symptom of asbestosis among the population of and around the former Cape Asbestos Company factory on Harts Lane. Residents recall that dust from the factory often fell like snow, and former pupils from the nearby Northbury School tell of having ‘snowball’ fights with the dust. We owe it to future generations to ensure workplaces are safe and we stand with our Trade Union colleagues. The unveiling ceremony coincided with International Workers Memorial Day, which takes place annually around the world on 28 April to remember all those killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work. Henry Gregg, Director of Strategy and Culture, said: “It was very important to us as a council, to support this special memorial for those who died due to exposure of asbestos. We know many people have suffered in the borough, due to use of asbestos, which is still causing pain and suffering for many people and their families. “We owe it to future generations to ensure workplaces are safe and we stand with our trade union colleagues,” he said. Although laws were originally introduced to ban asbestos in 1985, it wasn’t ASBESTOS MEMORIAL OPENS IN EAST LONDON