Safety lapses in Pakistan’s mines continue to claim workers’ lives

On 28 October, a landslide in Balochistan's Harnai district killed a young mine worker while he was working deep inside the mine. On the same day, in the Hangu district, two workers were killed and one sustained srious injuries when a coal mine collapsed. On 29 October, another mine worker was killed under the debris of a landslide in the Duki district. On 31 October, two mine workers were killed and one was severely injured due to toxic gas build-up in a mine near Duki. The miners were working at a depth of 1,400 feet at the time of the incident and it took over eight hours of rescue work to recover their bodies.

IndustriALL and its affiliates in Pakistan have repeatedly raised the issue of unsafe working conditions in the country's mining areas. Inadequate safety measures and illegal mining has led to the deaths of several workers in Balochistan. Unions say that there are no health facilities for immediate medical care available in the mining areas. In addition, mine workers are not adequately compensated for the long working hours that they put in. Mine workers are also not covered under social security schemes.

The mine workers' unions in Pakistan are demanding that both federal and provincial governments look into the issue of workplace safety of mine workers and that the country immediately ratify ILO C176.

Ashutosh Bhattacharya, IndustriALL's south Asia regional secretary, says:

"It is horrific that mine workers in Pakistan continue to lose lives on daily bases. These deaths can be easily prevented if employers and governments take the issue of workplace safety seriously. We urge the mine owners and Balochistan, as well as Pakistan's government, to ensure that workers' right to a safe and secure workplace is protected."