KARACHI: A Labour Consultation was held at Karachi Press Club jointly organized by Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) and Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation for the workers in the mining industry, here on Sunday.
Zulfiqar Shah, Joint Director PILER moderated the moot. The inaugural session was chaired by Sultan Khan, who talking about the overall condition of the workers in the mining sector, said that the plight of the workers in this sector has worsened while the government agencies and employers are presenting a picture of indifference and incompetence.
Karamat Ali of PILER elaborated the plight of forced or bonded labour in the mining industry in Pakistan, as well as, the occupational hazards faced by workers in the sector including precarious health and safety conditions. He stressed that provision of safety gears and hazardous gas detection equipments can mitigate the number of fatal accidents.
Shahid Hanif of PCMLF Islamabad region informed that the government had not developed amicable relations with the workers in the mining sector which led to a chaotic situation.
A labour leader from Shangla district KPK, Gulab Khan, quoted the economic turmoil and overall situation of the miners. He lamented the incompetence of the government agencies and apathy of politicians, by stressing on the need to focus on the welfare of the workers in the mining sector. He also revealed that the dangers of mining have left about 9,000 workers disabled in the Shangla district alone during work and there is no proper facility for their medical treatment. He further added that an organized mafia occupied workers’ rights, leading to continued exploitation.
Saeed Khattak from Punjab said that the workers get seriously ill and physically affected due to shot circuits and toxic gases in mines. “We are deeply concerned by the incompetence of the Labour Department, which needs to revive the mines inspection system, improve the mines rescue and social security system, including better education facilities for the children of labourers,” he added.
Explaining the plight of Balochistan miners, Haji Khan Zaman said that the Labour Department including department of minerals have become a hotbed of corruption and nepotism because the miners are not united and organized under one platform. The biggest usurpers are those whose nexus with government agencies and the mafia, he added.
Concluding the session, Sultan Khan said that we are very unfortunate people who have no place to complain. Government officials and elites are not serious in resolving our issues. He further added that according to the Supreme Court, the compensation should be the same in the whole country, while all the provinces have announced separate compensations for victims.
He lamented that government agencies including Secretary Mines and Pakistan Mineral Development Department are responsible for exploitation of miners and fatal accidents. Workers will have to form a “confederation” with solidarity across the country, so that the struggle for rights can take place jointly. In his opening remarks of the second session, Nasir Mansoor of National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) highlighted the situation of workers in Sindh and said that trade unions in Sindh are being discouraged while workers are still fighting for their rights. He quoted that recently in international conference COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, world leaders agreed unanimously that they will follow zero carbon emissions policy.
Renowned labour trainer Syed Ashraf Naqvi said that after the tragedy of Baldia factory inferno our legislators started working for health and safety.