KARACHI: Heirs of the victims of the fire that broke out at the Ali Enterprises in Baldia Town rejected an idea to receive a recent compensation by German brand, KiK in installments. They argued that the process of receiving compensation through government departments is a long drawn and an overwhelming process.

Speaking during a general body meeting arranged by the National Trade Union Federation at the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) House on Sunday, the heirs of Baldia factory fire victims said the distribution of compensation should be monitored by an independent committee which should ensure it is disbursed equally.

The demand comes right before the arrival of a delegation belonging to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on Monday.

The discussion at the general body meeting is related to a recent development in the compensation process of the victims’ families. Recently, the German textile retailer, KiK, announced a compensation of $5 million as part of the long-term compensations agreed between the labour organisations in Pakistan and the German retailer. This was made possible after the German government intervened and roped in the ILO to mediate as an independent body which would also decide on the disbursement of compensation. ILO decided to be a mediator between the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) and KiK in April this year after a two-year stand-off between the respective organisations could not allow them to reach an amicable conclusion. However, both organisations agreed to have ILO as the mediator.

Families of the victims look at the agreement, and subsequent announcement by KiK to provide $5million as compensation, as a sign of progress. As soon as the meeting on Sunday ended, some of the factory workers stayed back to speak about their experiences of getting compensation and the never-ending process of “filling forms and writing applications.”

Mohammad Asghar was part of the stitching department at the Ali Enterprises and received burn injuries on his face and upper torso after the fire broke out at the factory on Sep 11, 2012. Hailing from Muzaffargarh, he is part of the Seraiki-speaking labourers who moved to Karachi to find work in the late 1990s. “Thirty of the injured are from Punjab,” says Asghar. “And an estimated 80 of the dead factory workers are from the South of Punjab. I spent 17 days at the burns ward near Civil Hospital and as soon as I recuperated, and was able to walk, I went to receive compensation handed out by a high court commission.”

The process was complicated, he said, as people with minor injuries ended up receiving Rs500,000 and “I received Rs125,000 which didn’t cover even half of the cost of my treatment.”

Two of Asghar’s brothers worked alongside him, and one of them, Mujahid Hussain, 19, died in the factory fire. “It was from the money I received for Mujahid’s death that I could recover the cost of treatment and afford to send some money back home,” he added, as others listened silently, waiting for their turn to speak up.

Every alternate Sunday, families of workers from South Punjab travel to Karachi to receive an update on the compensation and to follow-up on held-up pension of Rs5,250. “Getting information on the phone can be dubious at times. So, travelling here is the only choice I have to know what’s exactly transpiring,” said Khursheed Ahmed, who after the death of his parents in the Baldia factory fire takes care of his siblings.

Women are having a harder time. Saeeda Bibi, part of the association of Baldia factory victims, said that most of them had changed their names after marriage. The name on their office card was different than the one on their identity card which created hurdles in receiving the money. “In some cases, men whose wives worked at the factory had a stitching box to show as evidence of their being part of the stitching department as the company cards had burned along with them.”

Burmese and Bengali labourers, who migrated to the city in the early 1980s, faced problems too. Those working at the Baldia factory did not receive a rupee from the compensation, Saeeda added, as they do not hold a valid identity card. “Our only demand is to make the process easier,” said Mohammad Ali, a family member of one of the victims. “Or else, the government should sell the properties of the owners and distribute the money among the survivors,” he added.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2016