Gadani Ship-Breaking Yard: Workers criticise Senate standing committee’s visit

Representatives did not meet labourers directly or listen to their grievances

KARACHI: Labour leaders criticised the Senate standing committee on human rights during the committee's visit to the Gadani Ship-Breaking Yard in the wake of an oil tanker tragedy for simply returning without even listening to the problems of the workers there.

"Though it was a good gesture that these public representatives showed concern towards the victims and met some of their families, they failed to hold a meeting with the workers or their representatives to listen to what they were experiencing during the ship-breaking work," said National Trade Union Federation deputy general secretary Nasir Mansoor.



Four families are still searching for their loved ones since the incident but no one from the government or the authorities has given them a satisfactory response, said Mansoor, adding that this reflects the apathy of those in power towards the people who voted for them.

Standing committee chairperson Nasreen Jalil, members Farhatullah Babar, Sitara Ayaz, Nisar Muhammad and Mohsin Khan and others visited Gadani on Monday, calling on some of the victims' families who were living in a nearby village and ship-breaking owners' association members at the government rest house, which was close to the yard.

Gadani Ship-Breaking Workers Union president Bashir Mehmoodani commented that the committee should have met the workers to really find out about the situation in which they work.

"The ship-breaking yard owners, contractors, local administration and the police will never let them know the true picture because that will reveal their real faces," said Mehmoodani, adding that the yard owners and contractors hold all the powers and are trying to get away with the murders they are committing since long for the sake of their profits.

"If the government is really interested in making reforms to save the lives of the workers associated with this dangerous work, it should at least listen to them directly once," he said, adding that he and his comrades have been holding press conferences and demonstrations since a long time to bring the hazardous work issue before the policy makers but in vain.

"We were promised everything but nothing materialised," he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2016.