MEDIA RELEASE 27/04/2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Men and Boys Coalition is calling on our members and friends to support and promote the minute’s silence at 11am on Tuesday April 28th, International Worker’s Memorial Day, for all workers who have lost their lives to work-related accidents and illness in the UK and around the world.
The theme of the memorial this year is Coronavirus, and MBC members will join trades unionists and healthcare workers in paying tribute and solemn respect to the thousands of frontline workers who have given their lives to the global struggle against COVID-19. We also use the occasion to join calls to ensure governments and employers redouble efforts to ensure everyone on the frontline of health and social care is provided with the personal protection equipment and working conditions necessary to minimize risks and harm at work.
The Coalition, which has over 80 members and is the representative charity for the UK’s men’s sector, also calls on the media and public to pay tribute and remembrance to everyone who has lost their life to all work-related accidents and illness over the past 12 months. According to the UK Health & Safety Executive, 95% of workers who were killed in accidents at work in 2018/19 were male. While 55% of COVID-19 doctors in the UK are male, they comprise 94% of those who have died from COVID-19. Only 11% of British nurses are men but they represent 39% of fatalities among the profession.
Dan Bell, CEO of the Men and Boys’ Coalition says:
“Amidst so much heartbreaking tragedy, it is essential that we all pay tribute to the courage and sacrifice of workers across the health and social care sector. We share the view of the TUC that most workplace fatalities are avoidable and occur because worker safety is not considered a priority by employers.
“We call on Government and employers to redouble efforts to protect all employees from avoidable accidents and illness at work, including in the provision of PPE for those fighting COVID-19, and to further consider the role of gender and assumptions of male disposability in our attitudes towards risk and harm to workers.”
ENDS
For further comment or to arrange an interview, please contact Dan Bell, Chief Executive of the Men and Boys Coalition: 07747 463 255 / info@menandboyscoalition.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
- The Men and Boys’ Coalition is a registered Charity representing the men’s sector in the UK, with over 80 members including charities, campaigners and academics. For more info www.menandboyscoalition.org.uk
- For more on IWMD please visit https://www.tuc.org.uk/international-workers-memorial-day-iwmd
For information on how and why COVID-19 disproportionately affects men, please visit: https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/faqs-covid-19-new-coronavirus