Capitalism and the drive for productivity are killing workers. 40 dead in Pakistan!

On 30 July, a methane explosion at the mining concession operated by PMDC / Sheikh Aziz Contractor in Sorange, in the Quetta district of Balochistan, claimed the lives of 40 workers, including rescue workers who lost their lives whilst trying to save their colleagues.

All the victims were from Alpuri Tehsil, in the Shangla/Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: this tragedy affects an entire community whose livelihoods depend on mining.

These deaths serve as yet another reminder of the lack of safe and healthy working conditions in Pakistan’s mining sector (and not just in Pakistan!). Miners continue to be exposed to unacceptable occupational risks due to the inadequate enforcement of mining safety laws, weak labour inspection systems, insufficient emergency preparedness, and the failure of employers and the authorities to apply internationally recognised standards of occupational health and safety.

Like APFUTU, we express our “solidarity with the Pakistan Mine Workers’ Federation (PMWF), the miners’ unions and all organisations campaigning for better protection for mine workers. We commend the efforts of the trade unions that took part in the rescue and recovery operations, as well as their ongoing commitment to improving health and safety in the mining sector.”

We support the Pakistani trade union organisations in:

- Conducting an independent, transparent and impartial investigation into the causes of this disaster and ensuring that those responsible for negligence are held fully to account.

- Strictly enforce all existing health and safety regulations in the mining sector and strengthen labour inspection mechanisms across the entire mining sector.

- Guarantee adequate compensation, social protection and long-term support for the families of all workers who have died or been injured.

- Publish comprehensive annual reports on mining accidents, including their causes, the findings of investigations and any legal proceedings brought against those responsible.

- Ratify and effectively implement, without further delay, ILO Convention No. 176 on Safety and Health in Mines, and bring national legislation into line with international labour standards.

The member organisations of the International Trade Union Network for Solidarity and Struggles express their solidarity with the families of the workers who have been killed and support the Pakistani trade union movement in its demand for an end to these workplace deaths. This is in line with the struggles waged by the independent trade union movement across the world: capitalism kills! No more deaths at work!

PDF APFUTU