The 11am silence,held on International Workers’ Memorial Day, will allow people to unite in paying respect for the lives of those whose work involved caring, saving lives and providing important services.
Boris Johnson, Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford will all be observing the minute’s silence. It’s hoped that all employers, politicians, those on lockdown and people at work will do so too.
Unison, the largest trade union in the UK, the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Nursing all launched a campaign last week for the nation to take a moment to honour frontline staff who have died during the Covid-19 crisis
UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “For every minute this pandemic continues, people are making extraordinary sacrifices to keep us safe and run our vital services.
“The least we can all do is spare a moment to pay our respects and show our gratitude to all the key workers who have lost their lives.”
The silence is also an opportunity to think about all those workers who are continuing to keep the country safe and functioning, says UNISON.
RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary Dame Donna Kinnair said: “We’ve become used to hearing a great roar on a Thursday night for key workers, but this respectful silence will be a poignant reminder of the risks they run to keep us safe. I hope the public gets behind this with the same affection they show when applauding our people.
“The silence is a simple show of respect for those who have paid the very highest price, but their loved ones must know the levels of gratitude we feel as a nation and take some comfort from that.”
