Workers Memorial Day was marked on Friday night in Fermanagh with two ceremonies.

The traditional one took place at the Round 'O', Enniskillen before the group moved to the Enniskillen County Museum for the Migrant Workers event. This is a reflection on the increasing number of migrant workers making their home in Fermanagh.

The event was made all the more poignant this year with the recent death of digger-driver, Ronnie Marshall who died earlier this month following an accident while he was working at the Drummee Waste Recycling Centre in Enniskillen.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, there has been one other fatality of a worker in Fermanagh from 31 March 2007 to 1 April this year. This death occurred on a farm in the county.

At the Round 'O' event, the crowd heard from Jimmy Kelly, the Regional Secretary of the Unite Union, (formerly the Transport and General Workers Union), and from Jim Quinn, also Unite Union. Andrew Cathers, the vice-chairperson of the Fermanagh Trades Council which organises the memorial, also spoke.

Mr Kelly, called for the jailing of employers whose negligence causes the death of workers in the course of their work. He was responding to a shocking statistic revealed by Mr Cathers which stated that a worker died every 15 seconds somewhere in the world as a result of an industrial injury or disease.

Mr Kelly remarked: "There is no doubt in my mind that when the first employer heard the cell door shutting behind him, we would see a groundswell change to Health and Safety at work."

Jim Quinn, highlighted the dangers faced by agricultural workers and the fact that 135 of them had been killed over the last 15 years. He also used the opportunity to condemn the Ulster Farmers Union for lobbying to have the current minimum wage protection enjoyed by farm workers removed.

"It is a national disgrace that anyone would support reducing wage protection for those employed in one of the most demanding and dangerous industries in Northern Ireland", he stated.

On behalf of Fermanagh District Council, Domhnall Ó Cobhthaigh highlighted this year's theme of Workers Memorial Day, 'Improving Occupational Health' and pledged his and the Council's continuing support for the event.

Drawing the ceremony to a close, Mr Cathers called upon politicians of all parties, employers and the local community to support the Workers Memorial Day event in 2009 and show their commitment to health and safety at work.

Across Northern Ireland, from 2006 to 2007, 19 people died and 3,500 were injured at work.