KARACHI, Sept 2: Taking serious note of the report submitted by the Sindh labour department that the Star Dyeing Factory, located in Korangi Industrial Area, where seven workers died due to the evaporation of steam, was an unregistered factory operating in violation of the law, Provincial Minister for Labour and Industries, Dewan Mohammad Yousuf Farooqui has ordered strict action against the management of the factory.

On the directives of the minister, the labour department has already issued three show cause notices to the management of the factory on three accounts; (i) No intimation was made to the labour department about the incident within 24 hours of its happening under the law. The management, under the law, is bound to inform not only in writing, but can even pass along such information via telephone to the officials concerned of the department. (ii) The heirs of the deceased workers are to be paid a compensation amount of Rs.200,000 each, which has so far not been paid and (iii) The factory is operating without registration in violation of the law, despite the fact that the management was challaned and fined by the court in the year 2000 for being an unregistered establishment.—PPI