Pakistan Factory Fires Tied to Criminal Negligence by Government and Employers

By Khalid Mahmood

At least 289 textile workers in Karachi and 25 shoe makers in Lahore died due to factory fires on Tuesday. This is the biggest loss of worker lives due to factory fires in Pakistan in some decades. The cruel negligence of governments in Sindh and Punjab and also of the federal government has resulted in such a huge loss of lives of the poorest of the poor.

Looking at the factories engulfed with fire on television, I could imagine the working conditions inside these factories, with very small work spaces for each worker, no proper ventilation system, only one exit, no fire safety equipment and an atmosphere full of chemicals. This is the horrifying situation that still exists in many thousand other small factories in Pakistan's largest cities. Sindh and Punjab are both provinces that have had a ban on the labour inspection of factories until last year. Even still, the labour department officials cannot inspect the factories without prior approval from the employer. In addition, rampant corruption within labour departments deprives workers of their basic rights.

Today, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that the Federal Investigation Agency will investigate these factory fires. The irony is that the government is still not upholding its responsibility to implement laws with sufficient political will in order to ensure the protection of workers' basic rights, including safe working conditions and freedom of association. Instead, the government's response is to investigate the incident as an isolated, exceptional incident. No doubt it is heinous crime that should be investigated, with responsible persons from employers and government brought to justice; but government should also show a willingness to implement labour laws in their true spirit, and providing sufficient tools and trainings to its officials in order to adequately monitor workplaces.

The emergence of this type of small workplace has much to do the economic policies that our governments have adopted in the last few decades. The policies of neo-liberal globalization have reduced larger, safer workplaces into small factories through contractualisation and sub-contractualisation. Many large companies and multinational corporations are having their products made at these small factories which lack safe working conditions and freedom of association.

Labour Education Foundation and its member trade unions are expressing their grief and are showing solidarity with the families who lost their loved ones in these incidents. We demand that government immediately pay PKR one million (US$10,576) to the familly of each deceased worker and bring the responsible persons to justice. The government should also immediately start mapping other dangerous workplaces all across Pakistan and force employers to make working conditions safe. Government should also curb the mentality of employers who create hurdles to make it impossible for workers to form independent trade unions and to raise their voices against such dangerous working conditions.

Khalid Mahmood is the director of the Labour Education Foundation in Pakistan.

Comments

[Abdulrauf Shaikh]

I will suggest that we should invite all stake holders to listen their suggestion and opinion to fix the core issue, further we can develop a monitoring SOP and offer to adopt all concern for better assurance of H&S.

Regards,

Abdulrauf
+1.773.313.6686
skype: abdulrauf_shaikh

[Sr. M. Amelie Hawxhurst,RSM]

DEATH BY NEGLIGENCE ON ANYBODY's part IS JUST THAT& MUST BE ACCOUNTED FOR__THOSE WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE MUST BE FOUND. IN THESE FACTORIES THERE MAY BE MULTIPLE PERSONS WHO ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM!!! HONEST, CLEAR IN-
VESTIGATION MUST BE MADE & ALL RESPONSIBLE PERSONS MUST BE MADE TO "PAY THEIR PART" IF JAIL TIME IS NEEDED IT ALSO MUST BE DEALT WITH.THE GOVERNMENT MUST BE VIGILENT IN IN_
SPECTING BUILDINGS USED AS FACTORIES & NOT ALLOW THEM TO BE BUILT OR USED UNTIL EXPERT
INSPECTION HAS BEEN MADE & APPROVED BY RELI-
ABLE CERTIFIED INSPECTORS AND REGISTORED IN THE APPROPRIATE PLACES.PEOPLE WHO USE THE BULIDINGS MUST STATE WHAT THEIR USE WILL BE & HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE EMPLOYED THERE . ALSO HOW MANY FLOORS THEY WILL USE !!! THEY MUST HAVE CERTIFICATES VERYING THEIR USE IS APPROPRIATE WITH THIS NUMBER OF WORKERS ON SPECIFIED FLOORS WITH CORRECT NUMBER OF TOILET FACILITIES & DRINKING FOUNTAINS. ALL PAPER WORK MUST BE APPROPRIATELY SIGNED.
COMPAINIES HAVING WORK DONE THERE MUST GET COPIES & COME TO VERIFY THAT THIS IS TRUE. THEY MUST ALSO DO "SPOT CHECKING" WITHOUT PREVIOUS NOTICE.I AM SURE CERTAIN VIP THINGS ARE NOT STATED THIS IS THE BEST I CAN DO NOW. I AM HORRIFIED BY NEWS OF FREQUENT FIRES & OTHER DISASTERS ,INJURIES & PAINFUL DEATHS!!! I HOPE RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE WILL SEE THESE THINGS ARE STOPPED!!!