An investigative report, claimed to be
comprehensive, says that there are breaches of labour rights, workers exposed
to grave risks for their health and safety, and severe environmental pollution
caused by the breaking of ships in the intertidal zone of the Alang Shipbreaking
Yard in Gujarat.
Released by “Danwatch”, a Denmark-based
independent media and research centre that focuses on corporate social
responsibility, human rights, environment and conflict areas, the report says
that shipbreaking practices at Alang do not even remotely meet international
standards.
Especially referring to the dismantling on
Maersk Georgia and Maersk Wyoming, the two Danish ships which are currently
being dismantled at Alang, the report talks of “unacceptable conditions” in the
beaching facility at the shipbreaking year, which Maersk has been “praising for
its alleged high standards.”
The report documents workers without
contracts, who endanger their health and lives when exposed to toxic fumes,
risking explosions when torch-cutting in only T-shirts.
Pointing out that Maersk’s "trial and
error approach" in India is seriously flawed, Patrizia Heidegger,
executive director of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, in a statement supporting
the Danwatch report has said that “the conditions under which the Maersk ships
are being broken are even worse than what we expected.”
Criticizing Maersk for its “U-turn from
state-of-the-art ship recycling back to the beaching yards in India”, the
Platform says, “Over many months, the Platform has shared its concerns with the
shipping line. The Platform’s detailed critique of the Maersk 'Responsible Ship
Recycling Standard' highlights why the standard is far too weak to ensure the
health and safety of workers and to provide safeguards against pollution.”
“Not only have NGOs warned Maersk of the
serious risks, the shipping line itself commissioned a report on the pitfalls
of breaking ships in the intertidal zone”, the Platform says, adding, “Danish
consultancy Litehauz highlighted severe pollution risks and the lack of
solutions on the Alang beaches.”
The Danish consultancy talks of “huge
investments to build adequate infrastructure would be necessary in Alang”,
questioning “commercial viability of investing in beaching yards, especially
because some of the problems are likely to be impossible to solve in the
intertidal zone”, the Platform says.
“Despite the warnings, Maersk chose to ignore
the concerns of environmental and human rights experts”, it points out, adding,
“Maersk expects to make an extra profit of 150 million USD by selling off an
estimated 70-100 ships to the beaching yards. While masking their U-turn as a
‘good deed’ for India, Maersk has not invested a single penny in new
infrastructure in Alang.”
“Danish experts with whom the journalists
have shared their documentation were shocked to see the serious risks for
workers’ health and safety as well as the grave environmental impact of
Maersk’s practices in Alang”, the Platform says, adding, “Had this happened in
Denmark, the yard would have been closed on the spot, they say.”
”The Danwatch revelations clearly show the
wide discrepancy between the industry’s greenwashed presentation of Alang and
the factual conditions in the yards”, the Platform says.
It adds, “Members of the Danish Parliament,
led by Pia Olsen Dyhr, former Minister of Trade and Transport, have requested
the Environment Minister to respond to whether Maersk has put pressure on the
Danish government to promote the Alang beaching yards at the European level.”
Source:
counter
view. 14 October 2016
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