The Trade Union Safety Team based in Chesterfield will be commemorating International Workers’ Memorial Day on 28th April 2026 with an event at the Chesterfield FC Community Trust Memorial Garden.
A memorial reflection will take place at Chesterfield FC Community Trust’s Memorial Garden on Tuesday, April 28, at 11:00am, to mark International Workers’ Memorial Day (IWMD) and to remember the men and women whose working lives were shaped by the heavy industries that once stood on the same ground.
Jerry Hague, TRUST Co-ordinator, said: “IWMD is commemorated throughout the world and has the dual aim of remembering all workers who have died as a result of going to work, as well as fighting for the living. Workers are still suffering the consequences of health and safety hazards from years ago, and work still causes avoidable, tragic deaths and ill health.
The reflection will honour former workers of Dema Glassworks, where generations of local families laboured in extreme heat, noise and hazardous conditions. Many employees worked without proper protection, exposed daily to dust from insulation and lagging now known to contain asbestos — an invisible danger that has since contributed to serious illness and loss of life.
Today, the former Dema Glass site has been transformed into the home of Chesterfield FC, a place of pride, community, and celebration.
The memorial reflection will also acknowledge the vital role of trade unions, whose persistence and solidarity helped challenge unsafe conditions and push for the workplace protections many now take for granted.
This event is a moment to pause, remember, and recognise that progress in workplace safety was never freely given — it was fought for, and too often came at great human cost.
All are welcome to attend the event, which also highlights the campaign for the removal of asbestos from all workplaces and public buildings, including schools and hospitals.
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For further information, please contact:
coordinator@emast.org.uk or colin.hampton@duwc.org.uk
