08 July 2010

Pakistan: Shipbreaking Workers Expire Due Injuries

Shipbreaking Worker Expire Due Injuries

Shipbreaking worker Bak Rawan is dead but no body no where is his dead body. It is routine matter for contractors to hide the news about these kind deaths at work place and shift the dead body immediately to ancestral village with the criminal collusion of local police officials.

- Nasir Mansoor; NTUF

Another worker seriously injured at Shipbreaking Yard Gadani

“SOS”

Contractors are forcing the workers to break the strike and resume work. Today at 7am one contractor forced the dozens of workers who reside in the boundary wall of yard to work or leave the residential hut.

Some workers succumbed to the pressure and started to work with out any safety equipment, one worker named “Bak Rawan” fell up side down from the height of 55 feet top of ship and critically injured at plot (yard) 113 owned by Babu Sadiq, there is wide spread rumors that he is dead. No FIR launched till this write up.
Two days ago three workers at plot 68 severely burnt and no body knows what is condition of these workers and in which hospital they are being treated.

Media is largely silent spectator, session court of Lasbella district restrained union leaders from all kind of trade union activities, private canteens (dhabas) and provisions/grocery shops stop to give food and other daily use and consume items on credit on the instruction of contractors, workers are warned to shun union activities otherwise they were ejected from residential quarter, police is with contractors and ship yard owners and government is no where to listen the grievances.

Workers are in high spirit and expecting strong supporting voices from individuals and organizations having serious concern on violation of fundamental rights of shipbreaking workers.

- Nasir Mansoor; National Trade Union Federation, Pakistan

Three shipbreaking workers severely burn

Today is third day of strike. Yesterday owner and contractors try their hard to break the strike but failed however at two or three yards out of 60 yard only ten to fifteen workers forced to work.

Today union make extra measures to persuade the workers to observe the strike, now all yards are stand still except at yard no 68 called “Well Come plot” run by the most dreaded contractor Bakhti Rehman where 15 workers were force to work. Because of no safety measures and proper working chain three worker have been severely burned early morning and there is fire at the ship berth for scrapping. They are now lying at government hospital in Gadani without any treatment. No media is there to take up the issue.

Yesterday session court retrains president and general secretary of the shipbreaking union. From taking part in any union activity at Gadani shipbreaking site till 21 July. COURT FOR WORKERS?

Thousands of workers gathering at union office for the protest rally.
Please use you contacts in media to highlight on going struggle of one of the most deprived section of industries.

- Nasir Mansoor; National Trade Union Federation, Pakistan

Source: Europe Solidaire Sans Frontieres. By MANSOOR Nasir, NTUF. 8 July 2010

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