A GROUP of at least 20 adults and school pupils observed this year's Internatonal Workers Memorial Day in the grounds of Cliffe Castle earlier today. (April 28)

They held a minute's silence by the flowering cherry tree planted in 2011 in memory of Keighley man Steven Allen and all other workers who have died in their workplace.

Among those present were trade union representatives, seven pupils from Holy Family Catholic School, Mr Allen's mother Judith and Keighley town mayor Cllr Shabir Ahmed.

Addressing the gathering, Dave Towers, of Keighley Trades Union Council, explained how the memorial day had expanded to become an international occasion after beginning in Canada.

"It has two strong themes – remembering the dead and also fighting for the living," he added. "And it becomes more and more important each year."

He said a reason why the number of workplace deaths in Britain is not as disastrous as it once was, is down to historic, successful struggles for strong regulations to protect workers.

But he noted that another reason is because so many of the most dangerous types of jobs have been exported out of the UK.

"We don't have any coal miners killed here, but there are many dying in China and other countries where they don't have the strong regulations we have," he said.

"We do need stronger enforcement of rules in Britain though.

"Once you would have had health and safety executive inspectors going into large factories and other big workplaces to enforce the rules, and their efforts would trickle down through the company.

"Now we don't have so many of those larger workplaces which makes it harder to enforce laws, as well as the fact that there has been a 40 to 50 per cent cut in the number of inspectors.

"We have a Government where some of its members – not all of them – have said they'd like a 'bonfire of regulations'. There's a danger that this bonfire could include a lot of health and safety rules."

Singling out the school pupils present, Mr Towers urged them to exercise their rights once they enter the workforce.

"Your workplaces should be regulated properly, but if they aren't you must look after yourselves and you do have the right to complain," he said.

"You should not be made to do things that are dangerous. Speak up for yourselves."

Another speaker at the memorial event outside Cliffe Castle, Janet Morgan, warned that valuable health and safety rules were threatened by Britain's exit from the European Union.

"It's vitally important that we have a Government in this country that will look after the workers, and the only one that would do this is a Labour Government," she said.

Following the gathering in the park the group staged a memorial service in Keighley Town Hall Square, led by town chaplain Reverend Dr Jonathan Pritchard.