Kate Osborne MP: International Workers Memorial Day one for commemoration

It’s a day for us all to remember all those killed, injured, or made ill because of their jobs. No-one should lose their lives just for going to work.

Community events are being held in South Tyneside and Gateshead because here in the North East, International Workers Memorial Day carries a special meaning.

This is a region immensely proud of its rich industrial past – from coal to shipbuilding. The story of the North East is the story of collective effort – of miners and engineers, standing together not only to build our economy but to fight for justice.

Our area’s economy was traditionally based on coal mining, steelworks and shipbuilding. The collapse of the Tyne shipbuilding industry caused unemployment to soar – which led to Jarrow’s world-famous crusade to London in October 1936.

We must always remember the marchers but also think about the relevance of the Jarrow Marchers fight today.

Over fourteen years of a Conservative government have left working people in the North East worse off and worn down. Public services have been stripped to the bone. Wages haven’t kept up with the cost of living. Insecure work is rife. Food bank usage has soared. And all the while, the Tories continually told the country about “levelling up” while refusing to invest in our region’s future. That’s why one of Labour's first acts was to agree to the underground cabling of the power cables over the Tyne allowing our shipbuilding to start to flourish again – a key ask of local shipbuilder A&P Tyne.

It’s not just economic development but we need workers’ rights. Hundreds of workers in the UK are reported to have died at work last year. Thousands more became ill or injured.

The real number is probably even higher. Stress, anxiety, and depression are now major health risks. Some workers have taken their own lives because of what’s happening at work. This isn’t just sad. It’s a scandal.

This is why the Labour Government is introducing better protections at work and our Trade unions matter more than ever.

Unions are the most powerful force working people have to defend their rights and demand better. When you join a union, you’re not just protecting yourself – you’re standing up for your colleagues, your industry, and your future. You’re joining a movement that believes no one should face injustice alone.

Many in the North East already know from lived experience: unionised workplaces are safer, better paid, and more respectful. Whether it's nurses organising for fair pay, warehouse workers pushing back against inhumane conditions, or teaching assistants fighting for job security, unions are there to give working people a voice – and the tools to be heard.

The truth is, the Tories knew how powerful unions can be. That’s why they spent years trying to weaken them—through restrictive anti-strike laws, attacks on the right to organise, and smear campaigns that try to pit the public against public servants. But working people are seeing through it. Because when your heating bill is going up faster than your wage, when your bus doesn’t turn up, or your hospital appointment is cancelled, you know something isn’t working – and it’s not the fault of the workers trying to hold the system together.

The Labour Party was founded over a century ago by trade unions and working people, and we’ve never forgotten who we’re here to serve.

That’s why this Labour government’s Employment Rights Bill is a huge part of our plan to make work pay, end exploitative practices, and bring security and respect back to the workplace. We’ll ban zero-hour contracts, end fire and rehire, and bring in day-one rights on parental leave and sick pay. And yes – we’ll strengthen trade unions and make it easier for people to join and be represented.

Here in the North East, that will make a real difference. Our region has been hit hard by insecure work, low wages, and industrial decline. But we also have enormous potential. With Labour, we’ll invest in creating thousands of skilled, unionised jobs. We’ll back our public services, bring good jobs to our communities, and put an end to the postcode lottery that’s held our region back.

So, this International Workers’ Day, I want to issue a call to everyone across our region: if you’re not in a union, join one. If you are in a union, get involved. Talk to your colleagues, attend a meeting, organise in your workplace. This is your power – use it.

Because while politicians can set the rules, it’s working people who change the game. It was unions who fought for the weekend, 40 hour week, holiday pay, maternity pay, sick pay and brought about the NHS. It was workers who won equal pay. It was workers who stood up to injustice – on the picket line, in the break room, at the ballot box.

We must all stand together against exploitation, inequality, and division. Let’s build a North East – and a Britain – where working people are valued not just in words, but in wages, rights, and respect.