Annual workers’ death rate drops to 8 from 17.8

Shipbreaking industry

OUR CORRESPONDENT | Published: January 01, 2025 00:02:36

CHATTOGRAM, Dec 31: The annual average death rate of workers in Bangladesh's shipbreaking industry has dropped to 8 in the 2020-2024 period compared to 17.8 during the previous five years - from 2015 to 2019.
A total of 89 workers lost their lives in between 2015 and 2019, resulting in an alarming death rate. In contrast, the total number of workers who died in the last five years is 40. The breakdown of fatalities includes 10 deaths in 2020, nine in 2021, and seven each year from 2022 to 2024.
In the first six months of 2024, there was only one death reported in the industry. However, a single accident at the green shipbreaking yard, SN Corporation, on September 7 caused deaths of six workers, bringing the annual total to 7.
Fazlul Kabir Mintu, coordinator of the Bangladesh Institute of Labor Studies (BILS), presented these statistics at an event titled "Sharing OSH Report on Shipbreaking Workers with Regional Stakeholders" held at a hotel in Chattogram on Tuesday (December 31).
He said "In the first six months of this year, there were only 12 accidents, resulting in one death and 15 injuries. However, the latter half of the year saw 16 accidents, in which 6 workers were killed and 21 were injured."
He noted that the relatively low number of fatalities and injuries in the first six months had raised hopes for improved working conditions in the industry. Unfortunately, the six deaths in a single accident later in the year shattered those expectations, he added.Mr Mintu recommended implementing enhanced safety measures, improving working conditions, and providing workers with training to further reduce fatalities in the industry.
The event, chaired by Tapan Dutta, convener of the Shipbreaking Workers Trade Union Forum, was also addressed by AM Nazim Uddin, president of the Chattogram divisional unit of Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal; Mohammad Siddique, secretary of the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association; Shipon Chowdhury, deputy inspector general of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Institutions; Romana Akter, principal of the Institute of Industrial Relations; and Mohammad Ali, general secretary of the Shipbreaking Workers Union.
Comrade Tapan Dutta called on the government to relocate the recently-formed Ship Recycling Board's office from Dhaka to Chattogram and activate the board by providing one-stop services as soon as possible. He also urged industry owners to uphold workers' rights, including issuing appointment letters, maintaining service books, providing paid weekly leave, and implementing minimum wages.
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Regarding efforts to bring the death rate down to zero, Muhammad Ali Shahin, the advocacy focal person of YPSA, stated that a compliance certificate is not a guarantee against accidents in ship recycling yards.
"The willingness to adhere to safety compliance must be incorporated into the daily activities of all ship recycling yards. We acknowledge that safety measures have improved in recent years, and we appreciate the efforts of the owners who are implementing safety compliance in their yards," he added.
Speakers at the meeting urged the government to invest in the development of the shipbreaking industry, which contributes Tk 12-14 billion in annual revenue.
The event began with a candle-lighting ceremony commemorating the seven workers who lost their lives in 2024. It concluded with a collective pledge to bring the death rate down to zero by 2025.