Minute's silence for dead worker (From Witney Gazette)

Minute's silence for dead worker

8:21am Wednesday 10th September 2008 in Witney

Union members bowed their heads in silence yesterday in memory of a contractor killed on a Witney building site.

But despite calling on his fellow workers to join the minute's silence, the group of around 20 stood alone in memory of Altin Balla, who died in an accident involving a cherry picker vehicle at the Marriotts Close building site on Friday, August 29.

The 28-year-old father of two from Aberystwyth, in west Wales, died at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

The group gathered at the entrance to the building site in Welch Way, which is currently being redeveloped into housing and a shopping centre by the Simons Group.

Organiser Tony O'Brien, from the Construction Safety Campaign, said he was disappointed workers had not joined in.

Dominic Wright, operations director for the Simons Construction, a division of the Simons Group, confirmed they knew of the vigil organised by the campaign.

He said they would be holding their own commemorative effort on Friday, the day of the funeral and two-week anniversary of Mr Balla's death.