Delhi Mundka Factory Fire : WPC issued Statement " A Culpable Homicide Occurred Due to States Negligence and Ignorance"
New Delhi : Mundka Factory Fire a statement was released by WPC in which sadness and solidarity was expressed for the families of the bereaved and the injured workers in the Mundka fire.
In statement it was said that WPC is
extremely shocked at the factory fire which engulfed the lives of 30
workers, as per official claims. It is estimated that many more workers
who are reported missing, have also perished. Most of the workers in
that building were young women workers. The massive blaze which engulfed
a four-storey building in Delhi’s Mundka on Friday began in a factory
on the premises that did not have a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from
the fire department. Even worse, the owners did not apply for one. WPC
condemns this culpable homicide which occurred due to state negligence
and ignorance
The said manufacturing unit which produced high
tech electronic and surveillance equipment including CCTV sets operated
without any inspection or scrutiny by authorities. This, of course, is
not an isolated incident but a tip of the iceberg. The safety of Indian
workers is systematically being increasingly jeopardised, as they are
forced to make their living working for such firms that have been
flourishing and carrying out their production without minimum safety
measures.
Of course, the Central Government plans to provide
full tacit support for this unsafe working condition environment with
the new labour code which will even further systematically remove
whatever minimal form of oversight and inspection by the labour
departments that currently exists. The Mundka incident is just one more
harbinger and such incidents will be new normal without any impunity.
For example, the new standing order which will apply to establishments
where over 300 workers are employed/engaged. So, no labour laws related
to occupational safety and working conditions will apply to such spaces.
As per an estimate, this is over 85% of India’s labour market,
especially including those in medium and small enterprises, which often
tend to be riskier and more vulnerable to occupational hazards and
safety violations. The new wage code also does not cover the large mass
of informal workers because its definition of “employer” is ambiguous
and narrow. The new wage code says, “Employer means a person who
employs, whether directly or through any person, or on his behalf or on
behalf of any person”. Many decades of experience have stood witness to
this fact that workers struggle to establish their employment relations
to get any benefit from the Code provisions. It means legally they don't
exist in the labour market.
The Union labour ministry informed
parliament that, at least, 6,500 employees died on duty at factories,
ports, mines, and construction sites in the last five years with over
80% of the fatalities reported in factory settings between 2014 and
2018. Factory deaths rose by 20% between 2017 and 2018. 24% of these
fatalities are in the construction sector. According to reports by
IndustriALL Global Union, between 2014 and 2017, Delhi recorded 1,529
industrial accidents, the highest in the country. There is just one
factory inspector for 506 registered factories. We must take note that
this number does not include the informal labour market such as the
factory in Mundka.
The Working Peoples’ Coalition affirmed their
solidarity with toiling masses and call for halting the notification of
all labour laws and demands appropriate amendments keeping in mind
India's informal labour market. We urgently demand to form a high-level
tripartite committee with special inclusion of workers organization
engaging with the informal sector, to review all industrial units that
fall under MSME sector and beyond. If the government has any intention
of acting beyond paying lip service and cosmetic measures, they have to
audit safety conditions and subsequently upgrade the infrastructure so
that no such incidents happen in the future.
The WPC is forming
an independent fact-finding team to thoroughly investigate the matter
and make comprehensive representation to state and central govt. We
might also initiate litigation proceedings if there are no substantial
efforts taken by appropriate authority in the next two weeks.
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