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“I couldn’t
able to join the work due to my fever from last three days. Besides, I have
topay 350 taka around 5 dollars weekly for my meal and have to buy medicine by
myself.The owner
of shipyard only pays when someone is seriously injured during work in ship
breaking yard. How could I save some money to send my family lives away from
here if I fell sick” says Noor Hossain a worker from Dinajpur working in a ship
breaking yard at Sitakund,Chittagong.
The ship
breaking industry at Sitakund started its operation in 1960.Due to
lower labour costs and less stringent environmental regulations Chittagong ship
breaking yard booms in a very short period of time.Destroying
thousands of tree in coastal area, constant harmful oily substance from ship,Dangerous
vapors and fumes from burning materials makes this coastal belt a highly
polluted area.In the yard
worker’s wages depend on the number of hour’s works and skill level.They have
no entitlement to overtime, sick or annual leave. A laborer usually works for
12-14 hours a day and their wages range from 100-250 taka (1.5 to 3.5 dollars).The working
conditions are very dangerous. Health and safety regulations for the workers
are very poor. Protective equipment is most times absent or inadequate. Huge
casualties occurs causing loss of lives every year. Over the last twenty years,
more than 500 workers have been killed and 600 seriously injured according to
local news media.
Scrap Ships
provide more than 80% of the country’s steel needs. Besides this around three
million people directly or indirectly involved and employed in the industry,
among them 40 percent of the work force comprise of child labor.Despite
this treacherous conditions, people from all over Bangladesh particularly poverty prong northern
district come to this industry to manage their livelihood.
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