Sundar factory collapse: Govt urged to take action against lapses
HRCP says disaster could have been prevented
HRCP says disaster could have been prevented. PHOTO: AFP
LAHORE:
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) called on the provincial government on Wednesday to ensure that the many breaches of official responsibility revealed in the wake of the Sundar factory collapse were not swept under the carpet.
“The HRCP is greatly saddened by the high loss of life in the factory collapse. The tragedy is not merely that of high casualties. Beyond the obvious negligent enforcement of building regulations, there are grave issues of inadequate rescue infrastructure, rampant child labour, denial of minimum wage and criminal neglect of workers’ safety,” the commission said in a statement.
The commission said the workforce of the ill-fated polythene factory was largely composed of children, some as young as seven, in an environment which was hazardous prima facie even for adults. The HRCP said records of payments made to workers highlighted by the media were equally appalling. The commission said many of those employed had been getting no more than half the minimum wage.
“Disasters of the incident’s ilk are sadly not without precedent. In the city alone, lives of numerous workers have been lost in factory collapses over the last couple of years,” the HRCP said. “As condemnable as business and factory owners compromising workers’ safety to maximise profits is, it is not unheard of. That is precisely why the state is expected to ensure that regulations are in place and effectively enforced to make workers safe,” the commission said.
The HRCP said the disaster could have been prevented but for the many layers of official neglect and systematic inaction. The commission said the factory collapse had revealed that there was no apparent restriction or control regulating the construction of structures. “The administration has now claimed that the building did not have pillars or other structures to support the edifice. Even as senior administration officials elucidate the long list of flaws in the structure, they apparently have little realisation of how each dereliction highlighted in the wake of the factory collapse equally indicts the authorities,” the HRCP said.
The commission said if such an incident could transpire in Lahore, the state-of-affairs prevalent province-wide and across the nation should not be too difficult to imagine. “What befell the factory’s workers cannot be undone. However, the HRCP hopes and strongly calls for an inquiry into the culture of apathy and inaction that culminated in the tragedy. In the spirit of accountable governance, the commission demands the findings of any such undertaking to be made public,” the commission said.
The HRCP also urged the government to immediately order comprehensive and regular inspections to be carried out across all factories and manufacturing premises to ensure the presence of safety measures there and make certain that workers’ lives and safety were not merely dependent on the whims of factory proprietors.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 12th, 2015.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) called on the provincial government on Wednesday to ensure that the many breaches of official responsibility revealed in the wake of the Sundar factory collapse were not swept under the carpet.
“The HRCP is greatly saddened by the high loss of life in the factory collapse. The tragedy is not merely that of high casualties. Beyond the obvious negligent enforcement of building regulations, there are grave issues of inadequate rescue infrastructure, rampant child labour, denial of minimum wage and criminal neglect of workers’ safety,” the commission said in a statement.
The commission said the workforce of the ill-fated polythene factory was largely composed of children, some as young as seven, in an environment which was hazardous prima facie even for adults. The HRCP said records of payments made to workers highlighted by the media were equally appalling. The commission said many of those employed had been getting no more than half the minimum wage.
“Disasters of the incident’s ilk are sadly not without precedent. In the city alone, lives of numerous workers have been lost in factory collapses over the last couple of years,” the HRCP said. “As condemnable as business and factory owners compromising workers’ safety to maximise profits is, it is not unheard of. That is precisely why the state is expected to ensure that regulations are in place and effectively enforced to make workers safe,” the commission said.
The HRCP said the disaster could have been prevented but for the many layers of official neglect and systematic inaction. The commission said the factory collapse had revealed that there was no apparent restriction or control regulating the construction of structures. “The administration has now claimed that the building did not have pillars or other structures to support the edifice. Even as senior administration officials elucidate the long list of flaws in the structure, they apparently have little realisation of how each dereliction highlighted in the wake of the factory collapse equally indicts the authorities,” the HRCP said.
The commission said if such an incident could transpire in Lahore, the state-of-affairs prevalent province-wide and across the nation should not be too difficult to imagine. “What befell the factory’s workers cannot be undone. However, the HRCP hopes and strongly calls for an inquiry into the culture of apathy and inaction that culminated in the tragedy. In the spirit of accountable governance, the commission demands the findings of any such undertaking to be made public,” the commission said.
The HRCP also urged the government to immediately order comprehensive and regular inspections to be carried out across all factories and manufacturing premises to ensure the presence of safety measures there and make certain that workers’ lives and safety were not merely dependent on the whims of factory proprietors.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 12th, 2015.