This Saturday marks 20 years since the world was shaken by the heinous attacks in the United States. The 9/11 plotters caused the deaths of 2,996 people, injured over 6,000 and had a devastating impact on the lives of countless others.
Harrowing scenes of human suffering, chaos and disaster were projected around the globe, while the reality played out in front of everyone in New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania.
The first to respond and to reach each scene were, of course, emergency service workers.
While workers rightly fled their offices and workplaces to get to safety, first responders were going in the other direction to save colleagues trapped in buildings that were ablaze and about the collapse.
Over 400 emergency workers never made it home to their loved ones that day and we will never forget the role and sacrifice that members of our sister unions played that day.
It was the deadliest day in the history of United States emergency services and one of the most shocking terrorist attacks the world has ever seen.
But it didn’t just last for one day. The search for bodies continued for weeks, the care for those injured lasted for months and years, and the fires at the World Trade Centre took 100 days to extinguish. The work of those on the frontline was unwavering.
Twenty years ago, we sent our message of solidarity to our public service colleagues in the United States, and now we do the same again.
As American unions come together to mark that horrifying day – in remembrance of their unimaginable loss – we recommit ourselves to the campaign for peace across the world, in solidarity with every one of our sister unions fighting for that just cause.