ILO response to factory fires in Karachi

ISLAMABAD (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) is deeply shocked and concerned to learn of the death of more than 280 workers in a factory fire in Karachi. The ILO extends its condolences to the families of the victims.

In this tragedy, ILO stands ready to provide support to the victim’s families help recover from their loss and strengthen the Sindh Labour Department to prevent re-occurrence of such incidents in the future. The ILO will provide the following assistance in immediate to medium term period:

1. Immediate

• Quick need assessment of the families of the victims, to determine their income loss and the ways to help them recover, to get back on their feet again.
• Extend skills training scholarships to 500 members of the victim’s families and link them with Decent Jobs.
• Extend technical assistance on rapid training of Labour Inspectors in Sindh on “Promoting Fire Safety at Workplace”. Through labour inspection help enterprises to put in-place Safe Work culture at the work places.

2. Medium Term

• Building institutional capacity of the Sind Labour Department to improve its efficiency of the labour Inspection.
• Awareness for Employers Organization for self-regulation
• Advocate for developing a Code of Conduct on OSH by Employers & Workers
• Partnering with media to promote safe work concept in the country

ILO Country Director, Mr Francesco d’Ovidio along with his team will meet the Secretary, Sindh Labour Department on September 14 to further concretize ILO’s support for the families of the victims and to help improve labour inspection to prevent such incidents in future. Mr d’Ovidio will also hold meetings with the Employers Federation of Pakistan and Pakistan Workers Federation.

(Source: ILO)