KARACHI: Expressing sorrow and serious concern over the death of six workers who fell to their death from the construction lift on the 13th floor of an under-construction building in Clifton, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) issued a statement here on Monday about health and safety facilities for workers.

Piler’s executive director Karamat Ali has said that it has been observed that workers often have to work in dangerous conditions and the private sector construction companies are not providing health and safety facilities to them. According to reports, a substandard lift and trolley were being used for the work, which resulted in the breaking of its rope and the consequent deaths.

The statement said it is also the responsibility of the state to implement relevant labour laws and conduct regular labour inspections at workplaces. “All the responsible persons should be arrested and given exemplary punishment through relevant courts of law.

“The failure of the said construction company and its contractor to provide timely medical support to the injured workers resulted in the death of the six workers. According to reports the local police rescued the workers who were crying and lying injured in a pool of blood,” the statement read.

“This indicates a severe degree of apathy on the part of the private sector companies towards the safety of workers. Occupational health and safety is given little importance by the construction companies and the workers lose their lives while working,” the statement further said.

“The Sindh Assembly has passed the Sindh Occupational Health and Safety Act 2017, which is yet to be implemented in the province as its rules of business are still not ready.”

The statement demanded that the government implement the law in letter and spirit and provide immediate financial support to the families of the workers according to the relevant laws and pursue the case against the construction company and owner of the building to its logical conclusion.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2019