Pakistan : Call to mark Sept 11 as Workers' Safety Day
Karachi, Sep 16: Trade unionists and labour leaders urged the federal government to declare September 11 as national day of workers’ safety and to convert the Badia factory, Ali Enterprise, into
either a Labour Community Centre or a memorial museum.
It was four years ago that over 250 workers were burnt alive when the garment factory caught fire.
On the occasion of the tragic incident’s fourth anniversary, labour representatives at a press conference, held at the Karachi Press Club, also demanded the government to implement an effective mechanism of labour inspection in light of the Joint Action Plan chalked out in consultation with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 2012.
Those who spoke at the press conference included executive director of the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research Karamat Ali, Nasir Mansoor of the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), Saeeda Khatoon of Ali Enterprise Factory Fire Affectees’ Association, labour representatives Rehana Hakeem, Habibuddin Junaidi and Usman Baloch.
The speakers further demanded to lay down an effective occupational health and safety system at factories and shops under the Factories Act.
Currently the provincial labour department was unable to conduct regular labour inspections in all industrial and commercial units owing to a lack of capacity and number of trained inspectors, they said.
They further called for banning of private audit and certification companies such as RINA – that certified the Ali Enterprise as labour friendly. Efforts of labour support organisations for provision of compensation to the deceased workers’ families and injured workers were also appreciated.
“It is a matter of concern that out of a total of 1,500 workers, only 200 were registered with Employees Old age Benefit Institution (EOBI) and a small number with the Sindh Social Security Institutions,” said Piler’s Ali.
“The factory was not registered with either the labour department or Civil Defence, SITE Limited and other departments, while its building design was not approved by the Building Control Authority,” he added.
Published by Daily Dawn on Sep 10, 2016
