Karachi, August 30, 2021 (PPI-OT):Had we learnt a lesson from the Baldia factory fire incident and taken serious steps to ensure safety of workplaces, the sad incident of Korangi factory fire could have been avoided, said labour leaders, addressing a press conference here at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Tuesday.
They regretted that the factory owners, related government departments, legislatives and society have not given any importance to the safety at workplaces and prevailing worst conditions at workplaces. Resultantly, the incidents at workplaces have risen sharply. There is no reliable data at the government level about the number of the deceased and injured workers in such incidents.
They said that the sad fact is that factories and workplaces have become mints for industrialists, but butcher houses for the workers. The industry mafia has got full support of the labour department and law enforcement agencies to exploit their workers. They said every voice against stopping to make the factories sweat houses is harshly suppressed. They said retired officers of law enforcement agencies employed by industrialists have created an atmosphere of fear in workplaces. They said the labour inspection process has been virtually ended and the labour department officers are getting salaries from the government but serving the industrialists.
They said that a few days before the ninth anniversary of the Baldia factory fire, BM Luggage Industries Korangi caught a horrible fire, which shows that the lives of workers are still not safe at their workplaces. They said 260 workers had burned alive in the Baldia factory fire but a single criminal was punished.
The speakers said that the most important aspect of the Baldia factory fire, lack of national and international safety standards, was ignored and the incident was given a political colour. On the basis of JIT report and political polarization this sad industrial mishap was dubbed as terrorism and the criminal role of the factory owners, as well as, labour department officials was ignored. Resultantly, instead of taking strict safety and health measures at the workplaces, these places were made virtually killing fields for innocent workers.
However, in Bangladesh after the incident of Rana Plaza fire, their government, labour organisations, factory owners and international brands struck as Bangladesh Accord and with its strict implementation not only factories and workplaces were made safer for the workers, but the labourers found opportunities to get them organised and get their due rights. Moreover, the number of industrial mishaps also decreased.
Same was the case in Germany, where after consultation of many years, a law was passed that if a German company was found involved in any illegal act anywhere in the world, legal action would be taken against it in Germany. The European parliament has also begun consultation to pass such a law.
However, instead of improving industrial atmosphere in Pakistan, the ban on factory inspection slapped by the Zia martial law in Pakistan is still there despite the passage of 45 years, in spite of the fact that as per the Factory Act, annual inspection of every factory to check health and safety measures is a requirement of law. However, the system of factory inspection was put on the back burner and as a result deadly industrial mishaps are on the rise. It is sad that the Punjab government has announced to end the factory inspection altogether, which is an open violation of ILO convention.
The speakers said that the anti-worker attitude of the Sindh labour department could be seen from the fact that 60 percent posts in this department have been lying vacant for last 10 years as a result the performance of this department is zero. Had the government of Sindh and its labour department taken strict steps after the sad accident of Baldia factory fire, the tragedy of Korangi factory fire could have been avoided. Due to the untiring struggle of labour organisations Sindh Health and Safety Act was passed in the year 2016, but it lacks implementation as even the meeting of Council made under this law is yet to be summoned. They warned that if the government failed to take immediate steps for health and safety at workplaces, the workers would not allow the unsafe factories and industries to run.
The speakers said that in the present scenario the labour organisations are right to say that the local industrialists, their international buyers, government and its labour-related departments are not ready to give rights to workers as per the Constitution and labour laws. This is why the ratio of making labour unions in Pakistan is less than one percent. Only four to five percent of workers are getting benefits under the social security schemes. The illegal contact labour system still prevails. Daily working hours are 10 to 12 hours without overtime, which is just a forced labour.
The apathy of industrialists can be gauged from the fact that when the Sindh government fixed minimum wages at Rs25000 per month, the industrialists instead of accepting it tried to blackmail the government, besides challenging the minimum wages in Sindh High Court.
In these circumstances when the workers are given no right to make their unions, and employers are not accepting rise in wages and they are not ready to register their workers in pension and social security institutions, the workers are left with no other choice but to protest and show resistance.
The speakers demanded from the government to lodge a case of murder against the owner of BM Luggage Industry, its administration and the heads of related entities and arrest them immediately.
They demanded that the heirs of the deceased should be paid compensation at the rate of Rs2.5 million each, and free of cost medical treatment should be provided to all injured.
They asked that the payment of pension, group insurance and gratuity should be paid immediately to the heirs of the martyred workers.
They also demanded to sack the officials who gave permission to set up an industrial unit in a residential locality and give them punishment as per law.
They asked to conduct judicial probe into all industrial incidents of this type to fix responsibility and know the reasons behind such incidents.
They asked to implement the recent increase in minimum wages.
They demanded to implement Sindh workplace safety and health Act and make it mandatory to set up health and safety committees on factory level in all industrial zones.
They asked to modernize labour inspection system and fill the vacant posts of labour inspectors in Sindh labour department and give equal representation to female in this process.
They also demanded to start a fresh probe into Baldia factory fire incident and include the owners of the factory in this investigation.
Those spoke included Karamat Ali convener National Labour Council, Nasir Mansoor general secretary National Trade Union Federation Pakistan, Asad Butt co-chairman Human Rights Commission Pakistan, Zahra Khan general secretary Home Based Women Workers Federation, Saeeda Khatoon chairperson of Association of the Affectees of Baldia Factory Fire, Riaz Abbasi secretary Site Labour Forum, Akber Memon, leader of Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign, Comrade Gul Rehman convener Workers Rights Movement, Liaquat Ali Sahi General Secretary Democratic Workers Union State Bank of Pakistan and Farhat Parveen leader of Nao Community, Fahim Siddique (KUJ), Saeed Baloch of PFF and M. Saleem, victim’s father from BM industries factory.
For more information, contact:
Deputy General Secretary,
National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF)
R-16, Al Hilal Society Block- IV-V, KDA Scheme 7,
Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-37075324
Fax: +92-21-34142149
Cell: +92-300-3587211
Email: ntufpak@gmail.com
Website: www.ntufpak.org