'Six years after Baldia factory fire, working conditions still not changed'

PILER Executive Director says the Baldia factory fire was the worst industrial incident recorded in Pakistan’s...

KARACHI: A seminar on health and safety was organised on Sunday to mark the sixth anniversary of the Baldia factory fire, where speakers lamented that six years had passed since the tragic incident of Baldia Town fire of 2012 and yet the hazardous working conditions in factories had not improved.

The event was jointly organised by Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), Rasheed Razvi Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (RCCHR) and Ali Enterprises Factory Fire Affectees Association (AEFFAA) at PILER Centre.



Speaking on the occasion, Senator Raza Rabbani underlined the need to form an alliance of workers and intellectuals to ensure the protection of fundamental rights. "Unfortunately, we are living in a society where the state has failed to fulfil its constitutional responsibilities [providing fundamental rights]," he said, adding that the right to form an association was granted in the Constitution, but through a well-planned strategy, the state destroyed the trade union movement in Pakistan.

PILER Executive Director Karamat Ali said that the Baldia factory fire was the worst ever industrial incident recorded in Pakistan’s history. He said that the factory, in which over 259 workers lost their lives, had no trade union.

Ali expressed gratitude to international organisations, especially Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) which raised the issue at an international forum which resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the German buying company KiK and PILER. US$ 1 million were received as immediate relief and later US$5.15 million were released as long-term compensation for the victims' families. Since January 2017, the affected families have started receiving long-term compensation, he added. He said that it was the first agreement that was signed under the supervision of ILO which has set a precedent in the world.

Advocate Faisal Siddiqi said that the fight for compensation was a big success for labour organisations and added that the steadfast struggle of victims' families and the support received from international human rights organisations made it possible. He suggested that a monument be constructed to remember the workers who lost their lives. He expressed concern over the working conditions in factories and appreciated the law regarding health and safety in industries passed by the Sindh government

Pakistan is ranked fourth on International Labor Organisation’s (ILO) list of countries with the worst working conditions in the world. ILO representative Belinda Chanda said that the organisation was working to ensure safe working places in Pakistan and appreciated the Sindh government for introducing pro-labour legislation. However, she added that a lot still needed to be done.

CCC representative Liana recalled that around 140 workers had lost their lives in a factory fire incident in the USA in 1911, adding that after the Baldia factory fire incident in Karachi, her organisation made a lot of effort to hold Germany-based company, KiK, accountable.

NTUF representative Nasir Mansoor said that no political party provided support to the affected families. He added that the attitude of owners was cruel as they tried to term it a terrorist act and did not accept their fault.

Singer Jawad Ahmed, who had prepared a song for the victims of Baldia factory fire, said that workers’ problems would not be resolved until a political party of workers was made.

Head of AEFFAA, Ms Saeeda Khatoon, appreciated the efforts of all the organisations that helped.

Awards were presented to former Sindh government minister of labour and human resources Mr Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, former Sindh government Secretary Department of Labour and Human Resources Mr Abdul Rasheed Solangi, Mr Jawad Ahmed, Mr Faisal Siddiqi, ILO, PILER, CCC,  RCCHR, NTUF, AEFFAA, Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, Home Based Workers Federation, Department of Labour and Human Resources Government of Sindh, Sindh Employees Social Security Institution, Employers Federation of Pakistan, the Netherlands, European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights, Medico International Germany, Hosiery Garments and General Workers Union, among others.



The journalists who covered the incident and the court proceedings were also given awards. These include Riaz Sohail, Naeem Sahoutara, Amar Guriro, Zia Ur Rehman, Saher Baloch, Zubair Ashraf, Maria Ismail, Shazia Hasan, the team of TV show, Zara Hatt Kay, and Aslam Khokhar.

Sindh Human Rights Commission Chairperson Justice (retd) Majida Razvi and Anis Haroon, member of National Commission for Human Rights, also attended the seminar.