14 August, 2024Between 7 and 10 August, two miners tragically lost their lives while working at the PMDC Shahrigh lease and Shahrigh coal field in Balochistan, Pakistan respectively. On 7 August, a miner fell from a roof and died while on duty. Just days later, on 10 August, another miner was killed in a separate accident.
These incidents are not isolated. Pakistan's mines are notorious for their unsafe working conditions, with miners risking their lives daily. Last year, 29 miners were killed in the coal mines of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 26 others were injured in blasts. These numbers reflect a deeply troubling reality for those who work in these hazardous environments.
On 11 August, the Commissionerate of Mines Labour Welfare in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provided some relief to the affected families, issuing cheques of Rs. 1.2 million (US$14,292) to the families of the deceased miners. Injured miners received compensation between Rs. 500,000 (US$5,955) and Rs. 600,000 (US$7,146) each. Additionally, 16 miners suffering from pulmonary disease, a consequence of their work in the coal mines, were compensated with Rs. 300,000 (US$3,573) each.
IndustriALL Global Union has been actively campaigning for the proper implementation of health and safety standards in Pakistan's mining sector, where conditions in unregistered mines are even more dire. Every day, hundreds of mine workers descend into the hazardous depths of Balochistan's mines, facing life-threatening risks due to the lack of safety measures.
“These deaths can be prevented if employers and the government take workplace safety seriously. We urge the Pakistan government to immediately ratify ILO C176 as we believe the ratification can be a first step in the direction to ensure proper implementation of safety mechanisms at mining sites in Pakistan,”
said IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary, Ashutosh Bhattacharya.
Photo: Shutterstock-Mr Tempter