FAISALABAD, SEP 01 (DNA) — Amidst challenges of economic slowdown and price hike, the poor in anywhere in the world had to toil hard for survival and earn living for their families. In an environment where capitalists take it as their just right to exploit them, these workers had to go extra miles for keeping their families go as they are paid a meager share out of millions and billions earned by their employers.
Brick kiln workers are also not an exception to this exploitation who despite flourishing business, seldom enjoy basic amenities and are forced to work in the most vulnerable situation along with their families. Categorized in six types, they are Munshis (accountant), Jalai Wala (fire man), Bharai Wala (brick setter), Nakasi Wala (brick excavator), Jamadar (sweeper) and Patheras (brick molder). But, Patheras are the most vulnerable segment like Jalaiwala and Nakasiwala.
“Patheras have to live at sight along with their families with minimum facilities. They have to work for long hours to fulfill demand of owners,” stated Akbar Ali, worker at a kiln house. “Not they alone, but their families also have to work till odd hours because they are often bound in debt bondage.”
“Same is the situation of a fire worker or a brick excavator. Although their work duration is lesser than brick maker yet their task is the most dangerous as they even risk their lives as their job is like playing with fire,” Akbar said. “Even then, these workers are paid less than minimum wages occasionally announced by the government. The job of Munshi is somehow comfortable for only being a bit literate while all other segments are either illiterate or lesser qualified.”
Workers or laborers are generally registered with Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI), Employees’ Old-age Benefits Institution (EOBI) and Workers’ Welfare Fund and are eligible to get marriage and death grants, talent scholarships and other incentives. But most of kiln workers are ignorant of these facilities while the kiln owners are also hesitant to pay their mandatory contribution on one pretext or the other. For this, they do not even hesitate to offer bribes to officials who ask them to get their employees registered.
Kiln workers are also forced to work without health cover. Their children cannot get education and their families unable to benefit from social cover like death, health and other grants sanctioned by the workers welfare fund due to their non-registration. Amidst all this, Ghulam Shabbir Kalyar Director Labor West Faisalabad claims, there are 478 brick kilns across the district with a number of 21632 registered kiln workers. “After brick kilns were declared an industry, their workers are entitled to all incentives and facilities admissible to industrial workers.”
He said the Punjab government is fully cognizant to its duties. The kiln workers are registered with PESSI or EOBI and can avail a marriage grant of Rs.400,000 while the government pays Rs.800,000 as death grant to worker’s family if he dies while performing his duties. “Similarly, educational scholarships were also admissible for their children if they wanted to get higher education at colleges or universities.”
Kalyar informed that Labor and Human Resource Department had chalked a strategy to implement minimum wages notification. “Therefore, the teams of Labor Department visit industries including brick kilns and force kiln owners to pay minimum wages announced by the government. Rana Muhammad Azam Khan, a social activist said he observed lives of kiln workers very closely as he remained teacher at a private school run by an NGO to educate children of kiln workers.
“Their lives are miserable and major reason behind this is their illiteracy and ignorance of their basic rights. Hence they cannot raise their voice if someone exploits them and usurp their rights,” he said. Azam said it is very common that kiln workers borrow money from kiln owners to run their families but spend this money on frivolous activities like taking drugs, gambling, pigeon flying etc. So when under debt, the owners force them to work as per their desires and pay lesser amount.
“Consequently, they approach another kiln owner, borrow money from him to retire the previous debt and are further trapped and this vicious cycle goes on throughout their lives,” Azam regretted.He said some kiln philanthropists have launched special education for children of kiln workers and facilitate them on religious and other occasions but all are not covered.
Some of NGOs also exploit this situation and grab grants from donors for kiln workers welfare but spend a nominal amount keeping remaining with them in the name of other expenditures. No doubt that the government has repeatedly assured and directed the PESSI to issue social security cards to kiln workers but it is not fully implemented apparently due to kiln owners’ refusal to submit their contribution.
Therefore, in the prevailing situation, the government must take strict measures and introduce revolutionary reforms for this unorganized sector to extend all facilities to kiln workers admissible under the relevant laws. It should also force kiln owners to pay their contribution so these workers could get their due share from concerned departments. —DNA
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