Statue celebrating workers and commemorating those who have died on site will be placed at Tower Hill next week

A statue celebrating construction workers will be unveiled at London鈥檚 Tower Hill next week.

The monument, which will also serve as a national memorial to building workers who are killed on site, will be unveiled by London mayor Ken Livingstone and UCATT general secretary Alan Ritchie next Wednesday.

The inscription on the statue will read: 鈥淔or the thousands of building workers who have lost their lives at work, we commemorate you. For the thousands of building workers who are today building and rebuilding towns and cities across the United Kingdom, we celebrate you.鈥�

Alan Ritchie said: 鈥淲e want to highlight the positive role of building workers in building our homes, schools, hospitals, workplaces and transport infrastructure. But at the same time we want to point out that an unacceptable price is paid by hundreds of building workers and their families for the lax safety regime which applies on many building sites and construction projects.鈥�

Livingstone said: 鈥淐onstruction remains one of our most important industries in what is the fastest growing major city in Europe. I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to London's 300,000 construction workers, to remember the families of those who have been killed at work and to pledge that we will do everything we can to ensure that they work in the safest possible conditions.鈥�

The 9ft-high bronze 鈥樅诙瓷缜� Worker鈥� weighs about 300kg. UCATT commissioned the 拢100,000 work of art from sculptor Alan Wilson, who is based in Henley-on-Thames.