Today (April 28th) a plaque was unveiled in Hereford Railway Station in memory of railway workers who were killed while on duty in Hereford.
The plaque lists the names of 7 railway workers who died between 1851 and 1928, each having been killed in various accidents at or near the station.
April 28th is International Workers Memorial Day, a day to remember workers who were killed, disabled, or injured at work and to draw attention to the ongoing struggle for better conditions and safety measures for workers.
The plaque has been installed by Transport for Wales in collaboration with the Leominster & Hereford Branch of the National Union of Railway Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT).
Leominster & Hereford RMT Branch Secretary and Union Rep, James McLelland, said: “I’m very pleased that TfW have agreed to install this plaque following our approaches to management.
“The Railway can be a very dangerous place to work. Even as late as 1980, 36 workers were killed on duty every year, a rate of one fatality every ten days.
“Thanks to the hard work of our unions in introducing and enforcing safety regulations for the benefit of staff and passengers, not a single worker has died in a railway accident since 2021.
“Plenty of people moan about health and safety nowadays but it’s important to remember that every health and safety regulation that exists was written in blood, and that people died for those regulations to be in place. Unfortunately accidents do still take place in the workplace, including right here in Hereford, and today is a day not just to remember the people who’ve died in previous accidents, but to redouble our efforts to ensure that everyone who goes to work comes home again to their families.”
The Leominster and Hereford Branch of the RMT represents over 100 railway workers along the Marches Line, including Transport for Wales station staff, Network Rail track maintenance, and signalling staff.
The RMT represents over 78,000 transport workers in Britain and Ireland, including railway workers, seafarers, offshore oil workers, and bus workers.
