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Pier Head outside Port Of Liverpool Building - 11 am
John Flanagan from Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group brought near to 100 attendees to order and handed over to Roger Philps ex BBC and hugely popular local presenter who was coordinating the days’ speakers. Introducing Roger Philips, John Flanagan from Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group, reminded people of his long-running mid-day talk show on BBC's Radio Merseyside which was listened to everyday by tnes of thousands on Merseyside; and featured members of the public expressing their opinions on topics of the day. Some of which were often hilarious or outright bizare!
Opening the event, Roger Phillips' full speech was curtailed due to change of the agenda and timings. Here is the full quote of what he would have said by way of an introduction to IWMD 2025 in Liverpool: We now have three speakers, and then at midday, we’ll lay wreaths in silence along with a piper’s lament." Roger then introduced Mersyeside MP Ian Byrne, Liverpool West Derby, as the first speaker in a change to the agenda, to allow Ian to head off to London for a Westminster Hall Debate. He had kindly delayed his trip to Houses of Parliament where he was due to speak later in the day. Ian talked about a recent meeting with the POA (Prison, Correctional and Secure Psychiatric Workers) who have had members attacked in the workplace recently at Lowdham Grange being just the latest in a long line of violent incidents in our prisons, we need to end overcrowding and understaffing, we must protect all workers. IWMD also highlighted the deaths of workers during the Covid pandemic, from bus drivers to our doctors and nurses, social care staff and so on. We must continue to empower the Trade Union movement around the world to protect and save the lives of workers. "Those who put profit before workers, are often the same interests who have no thought for workers losing their lives in war – whether medics, health workers, journalists, aid agency workers, civil rescue workers or even soldier. A different category of worker perhaps, but ultimately no less worthy of protection, dignity and life."
Here is John Flanagan's opening comments, followed by Roger's introduction, to Ian Byrne MP: "First, please welcome a true socialist, who has been the Member of Parliament for Liverpool West Derby since 2019. He’s a true scouser, having been born in what was then Cantrill Farm. He got a degree at the Open University, having worked for 6 years as a taxi driver while studying. He was an active member of Unite, where he later became a trade union organiser. In 2015, he co-founded Fans Supporting Foodbanks, helping to tackle food poverty here and in 2018, he was elected as a Liverpool councillor. He is, of course, Ian Byrne MP."
Roger then introduced the unique Liverpool Socialist Singers who, as Roger described, “fight with their voices”, and one of the verses from their several songs, included the lines:
“So comrades, come rally
Following their resounding message of solidarity with workers across the world, Roger commented: "Thanks to the Liverpool Socialist singers, who use their voices to call for peace and justice, to promote racial equality, protect the environment and support workers’ rights. You’ll hear them at all kinds of demos, marches, rallies, festivals. Their MD is Chris Robson." Next Jamie McGovern, the new CWU H&S Policy Adviser, was introduced by Roger, opening with noting that today, IWMD, is one of the most important dates in the trade union calendar, uniting workers around the world. The NW led campaign to note the day by light up buildings purple this evening continues to expand and many NHS sites around the NW are joining in alongside the buildings which we are standing in front of, Blackpool Tower and significant NW sites like bridges will be purple this evening. Introducing him, Roger said: Now please welcome who’s recently been appointed Health and Safety Policy Advisor of the Communication Workers Union – and no surprise there. He was the CWU Area Safety Representative in Royal Mail for over 27 years, and was at the forefront of supporting members during the pandemic, carrying out workplace inspections and ensuring safety and infection controls were maintained, working with Covid compliance teams to keep workplaces Covid-Secure. His work was recognised by the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside. He became a Mental Health First Aider and then an Instructor, and part of the group that set up the Mental Health networks in Merseyside and the North West; indeed, he won the national ‘Inside-Out’ award for his work on Mental Health and Stress.
Through his work on disability, many people with physical or mental health issues have been helped with reasonable adjustments in the workplace. He worked with the Wirral Road Safety Partnership, helping to bring road and driver safety initiatives into the workplace, and he was a leading campaigner in the campaign created by Frances Molloy, the mother of the coach crash victim Michael Molloy, which was supported by CWU Health, Safety and Environment Department and achieved a road law change banning tyres on coaches over 10 years old. He is someone who has organised most of this event, as he does each year - Jamie McGovern:
"The HSE must include work related suicide in their statistics, and such incidents must be investigated like any serious workplace injury or incident. In the UK, work-related suicides are not officially monitored or recorded and in the absence of official data or evidence, public authorities and employers turn a blind eye and not protect their employees. The CWU support the excellent campaigning work of Hazards Magazine on this issue. Lastly, we should remember the quote from a previous committed IWMD supporter “Those who put profit above worker safety should never go unchallenged” - Tony Mulhern." Roger then brought in Audrey White from the Merseyside Pensioners Association who was to tell a remarkable story of a campaign to highlight a huge Government act of what many described as manslaughter, whilst never taking the crtedit for the campaign she was involved with. That was left to Roger, following her speech. "Our final speaker is a very well know activist. She was a Liverpool shopworker whose activism led to breakthrough legislation. She was fired – in fact, physically thrown out by the police - after complaining about the sexual harassment of four staff. When the shop owners refused to negotiate with her union the TGWU, now Unite, she organised a picket in front of the shop. Long story short, it went national, and she won, becoming a national figure in the campaign against sexual harassment in the workplace, which led to the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975. She was in later years, the secretary of the very active Merseyside Pensioners Association. She is, of course, Audrey White."
She expressed real emotion as she said: "Those who put profit before workers have never paid the price, but one day they will, we will make them. How many young people die or are injured in their early days of work? It’s immoral. A worker can suffer for many years for work-related ill health before being taken from their families by that illness. Workplace cruelty and murder cannot be allowed, even where there are good regulations they are not being enforced sufficiently. We see wars around the globe, in Palestine & Ukraine, with aid agency workers, first aid personnel, doctors and nurses, journalists being killed at work. There is only one working class and its international." Finishing, she said: "Those who put profit before workers, are often the same interests who have no thought for workers losing their lives in war – whether medics, health workers, journalists, aid agency workers, civil rescue workers or even solider. A different category of worker perhaps, but ultimately no less worthy of protection, dignity and life." Roger then advised the crowd as to how the state of the soldiers equipment mentioned by Audrey came to light - it was her and Rose, the mother of the soldier who was killed due to the lack of equipment that would hvae saved his life: "I'd just like to add one thing about Rose Gentle. The reason Audrey was able to tell you something of what happened in terms of lack of equipment and so forth is because of a campaign that Rose and she fought. a long campaign. It wasn't just about herself. It was about all those soldiers who were sent out ill-equipped. Ill-equipped in every sense. They didn't have the right tanks to be in, the right armour. It was disastrous. But it was campaigning from Rose Shetland and Audrey White that brought that knowledge to the fore. Right, in about 25 minutes, we're going to be at the plaque, the Turning Mill Hill, as we've mentioned many times, quite rightly, Turning Mill Hill plaque, around the other side of this building. So, you take our time, wander over there, I'll probably ramble to fill up a bit of your time, and then we will lay the wreaths. So, take your time, wander around that way, and you'll find where we all are." Roger then guided people to move along to the plaque for a minute’s silence ending with the Pipers Lament and the laying of wreaths. Silence please, which will be ended by Simon Burt playing a lament on then pipes after which could all those with wreaths please step forward and lay them below the IWDM Plaque.
Wreaths From IWMD2025 Liverpool Event Laid On Robert Tressel's Grave A tradition at Liverpool IWMD Events
Robert was buried in a pauper's grave on 10 February 1911 at Liverpool Parochial Cemetery and the location of the grave was rediscovered in 1970. Twelve other people were buried in the same plot, and in keeping with tradition twelve copies of the book had been handed out to the youngest attendees following the wreath laying. CWU member, Simon Burt also played the pipes at the graveside of a soldier’s grave located in the Dutch army graves section, as we also took time to remember that these soldiers are also workers lost at work.
Pictures and video courtesy of Jamie McGovern.
Source: Words - Derek Maylor / Chris Ingram / Source: Photos - Chris Ingram / Jamie McGovern / Mark Evans / Source: Video - Chris Ingram
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We must defend workers’ rights to a safe job. So while we remember all those who have died because of their work, it’s vital to continue to fight against work-related stress and unrelenting workloads. 
A key point made by Jamie was:
Audrey began by thanking the organisers for bringing the event together again. 
The wreaths and flowers were then taken to Rice Lane City Farm and laid on the grave of Robert Phillipe Noonan, best known by the pen name Robert Tressell, who wrote the inspirational novel The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists.