Shame: Misleading Propaganda of the Ship Breakers

We note with deep concern the recent incidences of “labour protests” (as reported in some dailies) in the Sitakunda ship breaking yard that, we hold, have been artificially created by the ship breakers by misleading the innocent workers to gain government and press sympathy in ultimately evading legal sanction against them as imposed by the Supreme Court in a recent landmark judgment. The Supreme Court judgment came following a public interest litigation that aimed to address the severe environmental pollution and other exploitation to which the helpless labourers of the yards are exposed to by the ship breakers who, in the last 20 years of operation, v iolently resisted the formation of workers forum and completely ignored the basic minimum rights of the workers and also paid no heed to the minimum environmental standards ! For long, the yards have been blamed by the government and international organizations for operating in a closed manner and in clear deviation from the existing laws with regard to environmental and labour safety and protection. While the so–called “protest of the workers” was arranged in response to the recent decision of the Hon'ble High Court that basically required compliance with environmental and labour related laws, it is astonishing to note that instead of respecting the court order, the ship breakers have rather chosen to create an artificial unrest in the yard and also in the market and thus, once again, are attempting to frustrate legal course and provisions. Instead of approaching for a regular and lawful solution to the crisis, the ship breakers are instigating the workers for such “protests” and are equipping them with coloured posters with intimidating slogans against the environmental and human rights groups. It is obvious that the labourers most of whom who are paid less than a dollar a day cannot arrange to publish posters!

It is an established fact that thus far, the workers of the ship breaking yards most of whom move from the poverty stricken northern part of Bangladesh have been “exploited” by the ship breakers in the name of “employment'. While in the past few years, thousands of workers have died and suffered grievous injuries, the ship breakers remained reluctant to improve their standards of operation. The government agencies failed to enforce laws against the ship breakers who operate in syndicate and show thumb to the laws and interest of the country. Despite being identified as an industry under the Labour Act, 2006 and the Environment Conservation Act, 1995 the categorical failure of the ship breakers created a havoc in the coastal zone of Sitakunda. The western world took advantage of such weak enforcement of law and conveniently turned Bangladesh as a dumping ground of toxic wastes. This practice became more rampant with the gradual shrinking of the industry in the neighbouring India (where the number of labourers dropped from 40,000 to 6,000 last year) and Pakistan (that broke 6 ships last year compared to some 200 in Bangladesh ).

While the Supreme Court's direction wanted to regulate the industry, the syndicate of ship breakers is instigating provocative and intimidating slogans against the two organizations that have played watchdog role in ensuring accountability in the sector and that again relying on the findings of the government reports on the status of the yards from environmental and labour safety view point.

We urge upon all not to be misled by such motivated and heinous acts of the ship breakers who want to survive by violating all laws and rules merely on the plea of iron supply to the country, when the fact remains that this very syndicate was held responsible by the government for artificially increasing the price of the iron in 2007. We request the government to take stern action against the unruly and defiant actors and take necessary measures to implement the court order that duly protect public and national interest.

Because of the pressure from the NGOs including YPSA the workers are getting compensation, they are aware about the danger in workplace, the government Inspection departments are active and overall condition of the ship are exposed. From the beginning of its program YPSA stated that YES TO SHIPBREAKING, NO to RIGHTS VIOLATION AND ENVIRONMENT POLLUTION. YPSA will be committed on this continue its activities on it.

Shipbreaking workers are always victim! It’s a Shame that the shipbreakers are influencing workers against BELA and YPSA, the organizations who are working for the safety of these for last 10 years here in Bangladesh. The photo was published in The Daily Star on 22 March. Read the newspaper report