The families of around 185 victims of a Baldia garments factory fire have received monetary compensation, and the rest numbering more than 100 are still waiting to be paid, according to a labour leader.
The government is yet to release a list of families which have been paid compensation for the loss of their loved ones in the September 11 blaze. Most victims were the sole breadwinner for their families.
Two months have passed but the exact number of labourers who lost their lives in the Category III blaze is yet to be determined. The government has put the death toll as 259, whereas some labour organisations claim the figure is up to 300.
The general secretary of the Garments Hosiery Labour Association, Nawab Ali, said on Friday that around 185 affected families had been compensated so far. However, he said efforts were being made to get a list to ascertain the exact number of families that had received compensation.
Ali said there were several families which took away the bodies of their beloved ones from the factory, Ali Enterprises, without fulfilling legal requirements, and there were some families which buried the deceased but did not have the burial record issued by the KMC.
He said the unavailability of the Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) had also been the cause of some affected families not being provided with compensation. He alleged that there were some affected families from Lyari Town which had not got compensation due to the non-cooperation of the local administration.
Several announcements have been made to compensate the legal heirs of the fire victims. Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf had announced Rs400,000 for every deceased and Rs100,000 for every injured.
During his visit to Karachi on September 14, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Nawaz Sharif had announced a Rs300,000 donation. Likewise, Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah had also announced compensation for the affected families.
The deputy general secretary of the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), Nasir Mansoor, said on Friday that several institutions of the government which were supposed to safeguard the interests of the workers had pledged in the Sindh High Court to give the victim families all those facilities which, according to the labour law, every registered worker was entitled to.
He said the Workers Welfare Board had pledged to award a grant of Rs350,000 to each victim family, and Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) had vowed to start releasing pensions to the families.
He said negotiations were being held to get compensation from the German Company, KiK, which was having its products made at Ali Enterprises.
The company is reported to have promised financial help but is yet provide it.
Saturday 10 November 2012
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-142044-More-than-100-families-yet-to-receive-compensation
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