Press Release - Justice for Justin Foley Campaign

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release

Monday July 07, 2008 13:38

by Lauren Foley - Justice for Justin Foley Campaign

Lauren Foley, Justice for Justin Foley Campaign Managers' views on the lack of assistance in highlighting Health and Safety in the workplace on what would have been the 27th birthday , today 7/7/08,of her brother Justin who died aged 21 due to a tragic workplace fatality on the 3rd of December 2002.

I have viewed these comments and others on many pages, many times and I would like to take this opportunity make some vital clarifications and points.

The Workers' Memorial Day Demonstration in 2006 was organised solely by myself, Lauren Foley, the sister of Justin Foley (RIP), Campaign Manager, Justice for Justin Foley Campaign. I organised this demonstration in the evenings, while I was teaching full-time, from my bedroom in London, where I was living at the time. No trade union, political party, government official, independent politician, interested party or even the HSA themselves has done anything since 2006 to highlight Workers' Memorial Day.

I phoned, emailed, and cajoled people to get involved in the demonstration. I met with our solicitor the September previous to ask permission to go public with our campaign and to ask about what information I was allowed to discuss.

I contacted BATU and asked for their support with our demonstration. I contacted SIPTU and asked for their support with our demonstration. I contacted all political parties, trade unions and what I felt were interested parties. With the help of two friends of mine we made the website and the posters and factsheets for the demonstration. I issued the press release and contacted all media to publicise the demonstration. No monetary aid was given or has to this date been given by any persons or organisation to help in the promotion, publicity or man hours spent on the organisation of the demonstration or with our campaign in general.

The unions, parties, and politicians showed up on the day.

Apart from Sinn Fein - Mary Lou Mc Donald MEP and Killian Forde deserve a special mention here - who contacted us after the demonstration to offer assistance and then invited us to Brussels to discuss Health and Safety with officials in the parliament, no one who presented themselves at the demonstration have kept in contact with the family or offered any assistance with the campaign or working in conjunction with each other to highlight the issues involved.

Considering the media coverage and debate the demonstration received I am dumbfounded by this.

Since meeting in Brussels in 2006 Kathy Sinnott MEP has also aided the family greatly in submitting a petition against the HSA to the EU Parliament.

No trade union, political party, government official, independent politician, interested party or even the HSA themselves has done anything since 2006 to highlight Workers' Memorial Day.

Apart from the aforementioned no other trade union, political party, government official, independent politician, interested party or even the HSA themselves has offered any assistance with the Justice for Justin campaign.

We are always interested in working in conjunction with anyone who shows an interest in our campaign.

Since the demonstration in I have continued teaching and am just completing my 3rd postgraduate course. The Justice for Justin Foley Campaign has been to the Dail, the European Parliament in Brussels, the EU offices in Dublin, and has reached out to other families who have lost family members in workplace fatalities via the Joe Duffy show.

My family can only do so much and we would really appreciate to be supported by the people whose jobs it is to do this work. Our campaign will continue but we request support - particularly with web design as our website needs much work and none of us in trained in IT. My friend was helping with this but he is away travelling for 9 months so we have to wait until December to update the site. Surely someone can help us with that at least.

My brother Justin was 21 when he died on the 3rd of December 2002 and he would have been 27 today the 7th of July 2008.

It is a lie when people say that it gets easier over time one just gets used to living with the disappointment and keeps smiling and pushing through it but inside their heart is broken just the same.

And with a system where no one is held responsible and we still have no word when our civil case might possibly go to court - where is the justice? The justice is nowhere. We are not free to grieve, to mourn, to move on. We just want this all to be over so we can remember Justin's life and not have to be concerned with a court case that we had to take because the Health and Safety legislation was not enforced by the HSA, anyone involved, or anyone in power.

Life over profits. Life is precious and fragile and fleeting. Justin will not have died in vain.