WORKERS' Memorial Day was marked with an event in Keighley.

A gathering took place alongside the memorial garden in Town Hall Square.

The event was organised by Keighley Trade Union Council (TUC), in conjunction with the town council.

Proceedings were opened by the Rev Dr Alastair Kirk, who gave readings and highlighted this year's Workers' Memorial Day theme – the effect of climate change on working conditions across the world.

He thanked Keighley TUC and the town council, which was represented by deputy mayor Councillor Gulfraz Hussain, for the invitation to attend and for its long-time co-operation in staging the event at the town-centre location.

Guest speaker was Keighley's Labour parliamentary candidate, and former MP, John Grogan.

He stressed the importance of an International Labour Organisation campaign to have health and safety in the workplace recognised as a fundamental human right.

Mr Grogan said that every year, more people were killed or injured in the workplace than in conflicts globally.

And he added that workplace safety needed "vast improvement".

Joe O’Keeffe, who spoke on behalf of Keighley TUC, reflected on his experiences as a firefighter and the history of deaths in mill fires locally. He said a strong trade union presence was a "deciding factor" in relation to safety in the workplace.

Dave Towers, Keighley TUC secretary, said: "Deaths at work are often falsely described as workplace accidents; accidents are by definition preventable if there is a safe system of work."

He welcomed the presence at the gathering of Judith Allen, whose son Steven died 17 years ago as a result of a workplace incident.

The event closed with the laying of a wreath by Jane Aitchison, for Yorkshire and Humberside Asbestos Support Group SARAG.

She said the group was increasingly seeing cases involving employees from schools and hospitals where asbestos had been present.

Mr Towers added: "Keighley Trade Union Council will continue to ‘remember the dead and fight for the living’ on Workers' Memorial Day every year.

"By remembering those killed and injured in unnecessary workplace incidents, safety improvements can be made to prevent repetition."

A spokesperson for the international Workers' Memorial Day movement said: "Whilst every year more people are killed at work than in wars worldwide, most don’t die of mystery ailments or in tragic ‘accidents’. They die because an employer decided their safety just wasn’t that important a priority. Workers' Memorial Day commemorates those workers globally."