QUETTA: Following frequent accidents in mines, the Pakistan Workers Federation (PWF) on Saturday met lawmakers from the Balochistan Assembly to highlight the issues of coal miners working in precarious conditions. Following the meeting the lawmakers pledged to take up the issue in the assembly.

The MPAs who attended the discussion included Nasrullah Khan Zeeray, Ahmed Nawaz Bangulzai along with the national coordinator of PWF Shaukat Ali Anjum and labour representatives Mama Salam and Abdul Kareem, according to a press release.

Mr Anjum said they discussed other related matters such as social security of the mine labourers, their registration as workers and essential safety precautions.

“Other provinces have adopted legislations over mining act following the 18th Amendment but Balochistan had yet to discuss the issue at the floor of the house,” he said.

He urged MPAs and the provincial government to include PWF’s recommendations in provincial legislation.

MPAs Zeeray and Bangulzai lamented the lack of labour laws in Balochistan, pledging to raise the issue in the provincial assembly.

“Unfortunately, our mine labourers work under dilapidated conditions where they don’t have access to safety equipment risking their lives on a daily basis,” they stated according to the press release. They ensured PWF that they would table legislation which included PWF’s recommendations.

Labour representatives Kakar and Salam in the meeting demanded an increase in the death compensation of mine labourers from Rs200,000 to Rs500,000.

They added that the depth of mining in Balochistan was now going up to 6,000 feet, exposing the workers to increasing risk levels.

In July, nine coal miners lost their lives in a mine in Balochistan’s Degari field, 60kms east of Quetta.

In May last year, 18 labourers perished in coal mine accidents near Quetta.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2019