“Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.”

Section 1.10.32 of “de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum”, written by Cicero in 45 BC

“Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?”

1914 translation by H. Rackham

“But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?”

Section 1.10.33 of “de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum”, written by Cicero in 45 BC

“At vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium voluptatum deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores et quas molestias excepturi sint occaecati cupiditate non provident, similique sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollitia animi, id est laborum et dolorum fuga. Et harum quidem rerum facilis est et expedita distinctio. Nam libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio cumque nihil impedit quo minus id quod maxime placeat facere possimus, omnis voluptas assumenda est, omnis dolor repellendus. Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet ut et voluptates repudiandae sint et molestiae non recusandae. Itaque earum rerum hic tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut aut reiciendis voluptatibus maiores alias consequatur aut perferendis doloribus asperiores repellat.”

1914 translation by H. Rackham

“On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment, so blinded by desire, that they cannot foresee the pain and trouble that are bound to ensue; and equal blame belongs to those who fail in their duty through weakness of will, which is the same as saying through shrinking from toil and pain. These cases are perfectly simple and easy to distinguish. In a free hour, when our power of choice is untrammelled and when nothing prevents our being able to do what we like best, every pleasure is to be welcomed and every pain avoided. But in certain circumstances and owing to the claims of duty or the obligations of business it will frequently occur that pleasures have to be repudiated and annoyances accepted. The wise man therefore always holds in these matters to this principle of selection: he rejects pleasures to secure other greater pleasures, or else he endures pains to avoid worse pains.”

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Based on field visits and consultations with coalminers, labour unions and government departments, the report recommends that the number of trained government safety inspectors and the frequency of their inspections be increased to maintain safety standards and reduce the number of mining accidents. Mine owners and contractors must also ensure a functioning ambulance service with onsite emergency health workers and regular internal safety inspections at every mining site. Mining tunnels must be constructed in accordance with the law, and kept well ventilated to allow both the entry of clean air and to avoid methane build-ups. It is imperative that the federal government ratify ILO Convention C-176 so that such minimum standards of occupational safety and health are determined and implemented.

Coal miners must further be registered and made eligible for EOBI social security and Workers’ Welfare Fund benefits. The disparity in the treatment of migrant mine workers must be addressed as well by registering them so that they are not underpaid or denied access to healthcare and civic rights.

HRCP urges the government to upgrade the status of the coal mining sector to an industry so that mine owners and contractors who fail to maintain adequate safety standards can be held accountable under the Mines Act 1923. The government must also pay closer attention to technological advancements in mining to give mine operators and owners incentive to upgrade from archaic and dangerous methods of mining.

Hina Jilani
Chairperson

The fact-finding report can be accessed here.

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According to reports from the International Labour Organization (ILO), 2.2 million people die every year globally due to work-related accidents or illness, more than 270 million workers are injured and an estimated 160 million suffer work-related illness.

In Pakistan, despite the Factories Act 1934 (last amended in 2012), the Hazardous Occupations Rules 1963 and subsequent provincially derived legislation following the devolution of labour to the provinces after the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, there is no independent legislation protecting OSH. Poor implementation of the laws that do exist, weak unionisation and inadequate—even absent—labour inspection mechanisms mean that Pakistan’s OSH standards fall painfully short of internationally accepted benchmarks.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the stone-crushing industry in Punjab, where thousands of workers—lacking protective equipment— inhale crystalline silica dust during industrial processes such as the manufacture of acid-lining mixtures for the metal industry. In the long term, they become vulnerable to silicosis, a terminal lung disease (Box 1).

Given that an estimated 0.5 million people are directly employed by this industry in Pakistan, establishing the prevalence of silicosis and examining what OSH mechanisms are in place to prevent it, if any, is a key labour rights concern.

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Sanitation workers perform essential public services. They sweep roads, streets and other public areas, remove waste and clean gutters and sewers. Without their services, public streets and roads would be impossible to use and the country’s sewerage systems would break down. Clean streets, gutters and drains are also essential to preventing the spread of contagious diseases. Despite the crucial nature of their work, sanitation workers are among the most marginalized and are often invisible in discussions and scholarship around Pakistan’s workforce. They work in hazardous conditions, clearing toxic and noxious substances, almost always without any protective equipment whatsoever.

In addition, sanitation workers are often paid below the officially prescribed minimum wage1 and lack job security and other benefits. An overwhelming majority of sanitation workers belong to religious minorities that have historically been part of ‘the lowest of the low’ communal matrix and face social stigma and systemic discrimination due to the nature of their work and their caste-based social background.

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