Trade union leaders demand national platform
Pakistani labour rights activists, under the banner of National Trade Union Federation and Home Based Women Workers Federation, shout slogans and wave placards as they march during a rally from Empress Market to Karachi Press Club on May Day on Sunday. PHOTO: AFP
A joint platform is necessary on the national level to safeguard the workers’ movement and their basic rights, stressed trade union leaders.
In a meeting titled Recalling Baldia Factory Fire: Exploring Opportunities for Safe Workplaces in Pakistan, the leaders pointed out that health and safety conditions in the country’s factories were still at their worst even though nine years had passed since the Ali Enterprise tragedy.
They bemoaned that the Pakistan government has played no significant role to implement labour laws and factories still lacked health and safety measures.
During the event at the PILER Centre in Karachi, the trade union leaders highlighted that the chain of events that led to the Baldia tragedy could be seen all over Pakistan as there was no alarm to be raised in case of an emergency. They added workers neither had the ability to raise an alarm or use fire extinguishers, while emergency exit doors at factories did not exist.
Karamat Ali from PILER stated that workers were exploited in this power imbalance and labour laws were too weak to implement. He added the trade union movement was systematically reduced from time to time after independence and only one per cent workers were unionised in the country.
He recalled that after the Baldia fire, trade unions were united on a global platform through the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC). “We need a similar united platform on the regional and national levels to strengthen our movement and improve workers health and safety.”
Nasir Mansoor from the National Trade Union Federation shared that the recent chemical factory fire in Mehran Town brought back memories of the Baldia incident where fire brigade could not enter the factory, while space was confined that workers could not escape from the factory.
“No health and safety inspection has taken place at factories. The CCC and ECCHR guided us and supported us internationally after the Ali Enterprises incident. Due to their efforts, European brands became liable to compensate workers, especially German brand KIK Textilien.
At the end of the meeting, participants agreed to organise workers of textile and garments sector on the provincial and national level. They urged the government to play its role and conduct inspections to improve health and safety conditions.
More than 30 participants from trade unions and social activists attended this meeting.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 11th, 2021.