Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif Tuesday presided over a high-level meeting which reviewed the steps taken for the safety of labourers working in factories in industrial estates, survey of industrial units and elimination of child labour.
Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that the grief and sorrow of the families of labourers who died in Sundar tragedy can never be forgotten. He said that 45 precious lives were lost due to lust of money of some elements. He said that it is regrettable that such an incident had occurred in Sundar Industrial Estate which had latest facilities. He said that had the management of Sundar Industrial Estate and institutions concerned performed their responsibilities efficiently this intolerable accident could be avoided. The chief minister said that institutions concerned will have to perform their duties with efficiency and hard work to check such incidents in future. The chief minister directed that a comprehensive survey of industrial units in all industrial estates of Punjab be completed as early as possible. He also ordered an inquiry into the construction of industrial units without permission so as to identify the persons responsible and to take action.
He directed a complete technical audit of industrial units by a committee of experts and said that industrial units in dilapidated condition should be immediately closed. The meeting decided that amendments will be made in Workmen Compensation Act for increasing financial assistance for the heirs of the workers involved in any accident and asked Law Department to present the draft of amendments in this regard. The meeting also decided to make amendments in the Act of 1992 for elimination of bonded labour for controlling forced labour from children at brick kilns. The chief minister said that Labour Department has not taken effective measures for elimination of forced labour from children at brick kilns. He announced setting up of a high-level steering committee for eliminating forced labour from children. Sharif will be the head of the steering committee. The committee will take immediate measures for curbing forced labour from children at brick kilns and meet on regular basis.
