Make shipbreaking safer for
workers
We are shocked by the news that at least six
workers involved in shipbreaking and recycling were killed in the first three
months of 2018, the latest as recently as Wednesday morning. It's also pathetic
that shipbreaking is turning from being one of the “greenest” industries
(because of recycling) into one of the deadliest, with the number of deaths and
injuries to workers rising steadily. The Daily Star report on the deaths quoted
a Brussels-based NGO that said that between 2005 and 2017, at least 181 workers
were killed in accidents in different breaking yards in Sitakunda, Chittagong,
which houses the world's largest shipbreaking industry.
We have frequently highlighted the poor
safety conditions in these yards and also stressed the need for improving
safety as well as the overall living and working conditions of the workers.
Although industries that involve physical labour generally lack safe working
condition in Bangladesh, the human cost of this fast-growing industry is too
great to be ignored anymore. Dismantling a ship is itself a daunting task
because of the risks associated with it. And doing it without proper safety
gear and necessary pre-demolition caution is like inviting disaster. Regular
monitoring to check safety standards is thus an important part of how a
shipbreaking industry functions—something that has been regrettably missing in
Bangladesh's case.
Shipbreaking is proving to be profitable for
Bangladesh, but the authorities—those in the industry as well as the
government—must understand that workers' safety comes first and it's not in
contradiction to the principles of profits. Making the shipowners respect and
obey the safety rules is the responsibility of the government.
Source:
the
daily star. 30 March 2018
No comments:
Post a Comment