From Correspondent

Gadani, Balochistan

Two Bengali-origin workers died in a tragic accident while working in a shipbreaking yard at Gadani Shipbreaking industry of Balochistan province of Pakistan. The deceased workers were identified as Qasim and Mustafa.

The workers were working at Yard No. 60, owned by Diwana Rizwan, former Chairman Gadani Ship Breakers’ Association.

The ship, where the accident took place on January 16, 2024, is CATHERINE BRIGHT (IMO 9186924, MMSI 373056000), a Bulk Carrier built in 1998 (26 years old) and was sailing under the flag of Panama.

Read also: Shipbreaking workers stage rally for rights

It has been informed by the trade union representative that the laborers were working in bottom of the ship were they died by falling of heavy iron plate on them from above. They were forced to work without safety gadgets as usual.

Pakistan had recently ratified Hong Kong Convention which is mainly for better & safe working environment, unfortunately welling ness for implementation is nowhere.

The ship-owners, concerned government departments including police are in an alliance against workers as a result Gadani shipbreaking is practically declared as zone without any law.

The police is protecting Jamadar (contactors) and owner who are responsible for the death of two workers. The deceased workers were buried in last hours of night in clandestine manner without proper postmortem and criminal investigation, the National Trade Union Federation alleged in a statement.

Also read: Pakistan Ship-breaking Industry: 15000 vessels expected to be scrapped in 10 years

Shipbreaking Workers Union and National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF) strongly condemned anti-labor and inhuman practices at shipbreaking yards which resulted in tragedies and fatal accidents, and demanded the authorities to conduct though inquiry and responsible persons should be punished severely.

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Staff Report

Karachi, Sindh

The ship breaking industry in Gadani area of Pakistan’s Balochistan province is notorious for fires, explosions and other mishaps due to lack of safety measures, as these ship breaking yards witnesses fatal incidents almost every year, speakers said at a seminar on Saturday.

The seminar, organized by National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) in Karachi called for the enforcement of Hong Kong Convention (HKC) that would not only bring a change in the lives of ship breaking workers but also ensure a boom in Pakistani economy.

They said ships at the end of their useful life are sold for recycling and brought to ship breaking yards for their dismantling. However, this dismantling process is highly dangerous for the health and safety of ship breaking workers on one hand and environment for the other as these junk ships contain hazardous materials like asbestos, oil, fuel, ballast water and sludge.

“It is estimated that in the next 10 years, from 2023-2032, some 15,000 vessels would be scrapped, doubling numbers as compared with the previous 10 years. It is natural that a large number of these dying ship would reach the third largest ship breaking yard of the world – Gadani. Located across a 10 km (6.2 mile) long beachfront at Gadani, in Balochistan province, about 40 km northwest of Karachi, this yard consists of 132 ship-breaking plots.

The speakers said that in November 2016, at least 28 workers died and more than two dozen others injured in a blast in tanker being dismantled at Gadani. However, such incidents were considered routine in Gadani, where shipbreaking workers faced dangerous working conditions, precarious work, poor wages, and non-implementation of labor law, hurdles in exercising the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining, lack of health facilities and lack of access to clean drinking water.

After the November 2016 tragedy, the shipbreaking workers’ union submitted a draft law to improve safety in shipbreaking yards. Due to the struggle of Pakistani workers and their organizations, the history changed when in December 2023, Pakistan became the 23rd country to ratify the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships. The Convention is set to come into force in June 2025.

In order for Pakistan’s shipbreaking yards to comply with the HKC standards, employers will need to upgrade their facilities, and the Pakistan government will need to ensure the implementation of the same. “As per the Convention, yards are required to have basic healthcare facilities, proper infrastructure as well as proper waste disposal mechanisms,” the speakers said.

The speakers said that in thousands of laborers toil in the ship-breaking industry under poor working conditions with dismally low safety standards.

They said that for decades the workers had been demanding improving working conditions at the Gadani ship breaking yard to save lives and limbs of the ship breaking workers.

Those who spoke included Muhammad Rafiq Baloch, and Nasir Mansoor (National Trade Union Federation Pakistan), Habibuddin Junaidi (Peoples Labor Bureau), Dr. Asghar Ali Dashti (Chairperson International Relation Department, Urdu Federal University), Zehra Khan (Home-based Women Workers Federation), Fatima Majeed (Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum), Bashir Menhmoodani (Ship Breaking Labor Union Gadani) and Washdil Baloch (Assistance Director, labor department Balochistan).

Related news: Fires at Gadani yards prompt authorities to shut down all shipbreaking activities

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Gadani, Balochistan

Thousands of workers of different ship breaking yards observed one-day strike on the call of Gadani Shipbreaking Workers Union (CBA) on Friday.

The union, affiliated with the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), put forwarded its “charter of demands” to ship breakers which were not accepted. On failure of negotiations union called for strike. The ship breakers and contractors forced workers to work otherwise their jobs will be terminated but workers went on strike on the call of the union.

Workers not only stopped ship-dismantling process but also blocked roads linking Gadani ship breaking yards. Workers’ main demands were 25 percent increase in wages, improving work place safety, providing of safety equipment, better residential and other facilities.

The local authorities along with police officials held meeting with Comrade Bashir Mehmoodani, president of the union and assured that workers’ demands will be accepted. After assurance from deputy commissioner and police authority strike was called off at 1pm.

Nasir Mansoor, general secretary National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF) and Bashir Mehmoodani, president Gadani Shipbreaking Workers Union (SBWU) in joint statement thanked all workers of ship breaking who made strike call successful and maintained their unity. They further said that the workers want industrial peace at ship breaking yards but will never compromise on their rights envisaged in labor laws. (PR)

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