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“Simon Jones was 24 when he died, his head crushed by the grab of a crane”

Poor working conditions kill a worker every 11 seconds. All of these deaths are preventable – if the political will is there. An edited version of a speech given on International Workers Day.

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simon jones.jpg
simon jones.jpg

Image: Simon Jones's family, pictured 3 years after his death. Credit: Michael Stephens/PA Images.

Simon Jones was 24 when he died. It was 20 years ago last month.

Simon died, his head crushed by the grab of a crane at Shoreham docks. He didn’t know how to do that job. He wasn’t trained for it. But he took a job he was not prepared for and had no experience in, because of the push from the dole office to make him work, and the threat of his benefits being cut.