On Sunday, six people were found dead in a chemical tank of a pickle factory in Karachi. This story slipped beneath the gloss of front page headlines and TV news shows but deserves our attention. The factory had reportedly been set up in a bungalow in a housing society in the Korangi area. At least 15 other such factories are reported to be operating in the area. The story in this case appears to be that one employee fell in the tank after which five others jumped in to rescue him – including the factory owner. However, apart from the botched rescue attempt, there are a number of worrying aspects of the incident. The owner’s son-in-law claimed that the chemical used in the pickle-making process made workers dizzy. Apart from the risk to workers at such an establishment, there should be questions over how safe the pickles from such a factory would be for consumption as food.
The use of such dangerous chemicals in unlicensed factories is not unheard of. That labour, environment and food inspectors are paid off by factory owners is a story that needs no retelling. Unlicensed, risky factories are a reality and are spread all across the country. Part of some of the most thriving sectors in the economy, they degrade the dignity of workers and posit a health risk to both those who live near the factories and consumers. Only last year did we see the issue of stone-crushing workers suffering from severe lung diseases at small, unregulated units in Punjab. The response of the government: none. The stone-crushing factories are still running as will the pickle factories in Korangi, despite the Karachi commissioner warning that they will be shut. This will likely not happen. Nor does it appear to be much of a solution. In a country where hundreds of thousands are employed in illegal factories, surely the first task should be improving regulation, enforcing standards and making sure that labour laws apply to all establishments. http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-8-312554-Unsafe-factories
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