Incendio mortale in India - Clean Clothes Campaign

["Monti Ersilia" <ersilia.monti@mclink.it>]

 INCENDIO IN UN CALZATURIFICIO IN INDIA UCCIDE 42 PERSONE - Clean Clothes
Campaign

La Shree Jee International con sede ad Agra nell'Uttar Pradesh, che produce
scarpe per il mercato europeo, e' andata a fuoco il 24 maggio scorso per
cause ancora incerte. L'indagine svolta da un comitato formato da
organizzazioni sindacali e non governative ricostruisce le responsabilita'
del disastro che chiamano in causa la proprieta' dell'azienda tanto quanto
il governo e gli acquirenti esteri.


La citta' di Agra nell'Uttar Pradesh e' uno dei maggiori centri per la
produzione di scarpe in India con circa 200 mila addetti occupati in alcune
migliaia di piccoli laboratori e in alcune centinaia di medie e grandi
industrie che lavorano sia per il mercato interno sia per l'esportazione. Il
65 per cento di tutte le scarpe vendute in India proviene da Agra. La
mattina del 24 maggio uno spaventoso incendio ha devastato i locali della
Shree Jee International situata nella zona di Jeoni Mandi causando la morte
di 42 dei 200 addetti presenti che non hanno potuto raggiungere l'unica
uscita esistente. Le scintille causate da un cortocircuito o il mozzicone di
una sigaretta che alcuni testimoni dicono di aver visto il proprietario
gettare a terra nel luogo di stoccaggio dei solventi hanno dato origine alle
fiamme seguite da una serie di esplosioni che hanno saturato gli ambienti di
fumi tossici impedendo agli operai intrappolati all'interno di aprirsi un
varco verso l'uscita. 50 persone si sono messe in salvo dopo che e' stata
forzata dall'esterno la porta di collegamento con una fabbrica adiacente, 8
sono saltate da una finestra aiutate fino all'ultimo da un compagno di
lavoro, Amar Singh, che ha pagato con la vita il suo gesto di estremo
altruismo. I feriti sono 11, fra questi due ragazzi di 16 anni.

La Shree Jee International produceva esclusivamente per l'esportazione
utilizzando il canale di quattro aziende esportatrici. I documenti di
spedizione indicano per destinatari tre acquirenti inglesi, Barratts Co.,
Jacobson Footwear e Gardiner Bros, un ignoto destinatario con sede a Dublino
e un supermercato tedesco di cui non e' stato possibile rintracciare il nome
fra i documenti bruciati.

Nei giorni successivi al disastro il Centre for Education and
Communication, un centro di ricerca e assistenza al lavoro, forma con le
federazioni sindacali indiane un comitato d'indagine sull'accaduto con l'
intenzione di fare luce sulle condizioni di lavoro prevalenti nell'industria
calzaturiera di Agra che da' lavoro a migliaia di persone. Il team visita
Agra il 29-30 maggio e accerta la violazione di numerose leggi del lavoro
causa non solo dello spaventoso incendio ma anche dell'alto numero delle
vittime. Il rapporto 'The fire that killed 42', che puo' essere scaricato
dal sito della Clean Clothes Campaign (www.cleanclothes.org) al link 'Urgent
appeals', punta il dito su tutte le parti in causa, proprieta',
amministrazione pubblica, acquirenti esteri, e stila una serie di
raccomandazioni all'indirizzo delle autorita'. Queste ultime hanno stanziato
nel frattempo dei fondi per il risarcimento delle famiglie delle vittime, ma
in misura non adeguata.

I risultati dell'indagine in sintesi:

La Shree Jee International dava lavoro in modo irregolare avvalendosi di un
certo numero di subfornitori che operavano al suo interno; le paghe erano
inferiori ai minimi di legge e il lavoro si protraeva per 11-12 ore al
giorno per 7 giorni la settimana; veniva usato lavoro minorile; nei locali
abilitati per contenere 130 addetti ne lavorava il doppio; materiale
altamente esplosivo era stoccato nei locali senza una regolare
autorizzazione; la porta della fabbrica veniva normalmente chiusa a chiave e
le finestre erano sbarrate da inferiate. Le autorita' preposte avevano
tollerato tutto questo evitando di svolgere le ispezioni previste dalla
legge che avrebbero potuto evitare il disastro. Le ditte esportatrici e gli
acquirenti esteri erano a conoscenza delle condizioni di illegalita'
presenti all'interno della fabbrica dal momento che la visitavano in modo
regolare.

Le raccomandazioni del comitato d'indagine in sintesi:

1) Risarcimento e diritti dei lavoratori feriti: i fondi stanziati sono
inferiori a quanto prescritto dalla legge e non tengono conto dell'inabilita
' permanente di alcuni dei feriti e del tempo necessario alle cure per i
casi meno gravi che restano nel frattempo privi di reddito; deve essere data
garanzia ai feriti di poter ritornare al lavoro; il governo deve verificare
che l'Associazione degli esportatori di calzature manterra' la promessa di
assumere un famigliare di ciascun lavoratore morto nell'incendio.
2) Task force: nelle 4 task force istituite dalla magistratura distrettuale
devono trovare posto rappresentanti delle organizzazioni sindacali e della
societa' civile.
3) Fondo per la sicurezza sociale: il governo deve costituire un fondo per
la sicurezza sociale per i lavoratori dell'industria calzaturiera alimentato
dai contributi dei produttori/esportatori, del governo e dei lavoratori.
4) Conoscenza dei diritti dei lavoratori e della legge del lavoro: il
ministero del lavoro deve elaborare un programma biennale di informazione
sui diritti dei lavoratori e sulla normativa per la sicurezza rivolto ai
datori di lavoro, e deve garantire che ai lavoratori siano corrisposti i
minimi salariali.
5) Corsi di addestramento: il ministero del lavoro in collaborazione con le
amministrazioni locali deve predisporre dei corsi di addestramento per i
lavoratori dell'industria su tutti gli aspetti attinenti alla sicurezza
avvalendosi anche della consulenza di organismi competenti.
6) Responsabilita' del ministero del lavoro: il governo deve ritirare
immediatamente la controversa circolare che obbliga gli ispettori del lavoro
a chiedere un'autorizzazione preventiva alla magistratura distrettuale per
condurre ispezioni nelle fabbriche; il ministero del lavoro deve assumersi
maggiori responsabilita'; entro tre mesi le amministrazioni locali devono
rendere pubblici i dati riguardanti il numero delle fabbriche calzaturiere
di Agra che hanno ottenuto il nullaosta per esercitare la propria attivita'
e indicare quali misure sono state decise nei confronti di quelle che
operano ancora in violazione della legge; la magistratura deve assicurare
che siano svolte ispezioni periodiche nelle fabbriche e deve stabilire
obblighi e responsabilita' per gli ispettori.
7) Responsabilita' penale: devono essere definiti con chiarezza i termini
della responsabilita' penale e i processi devono portare a individuarla;
nell'era della globalizzazione che si basa sulla divisione internazionale
del lavoro, gli esportatori con sede a Mumbai e gli acquirenti esteri devono
essere considerati datori di lavoro primari e devono essere stabiliti i loro
obblighi e le loro responsabilita'.

INVIATE IL SEGUENTE FAX ALLA CAMERA DELLE AZIENDE ESPORTATRICI DI CALZATURE
DI AGRA, AL PRIMO MINISTRO DELL'UTTAR PRADESH,  AL MINISTRO DEL LAVORO
INDIANO PER CHIEDERE CHE SIA DATA ATTUAZIONE ALLE RACCOMANDAZIONI STILATE
DAL COMITATO DI INDAGINE

Agra Footwear Manufacturers' & Exporters' Chamber
c/o Tej Shoe Factory
Fax: 0091 562 362161

Ms. Mayawati
Chief Minister
Government of Uttar Pradesh
Fax: 0091 522 230002

Ms. Johara Chatterjee
Labour Commissioner
Government of Uttar Pradesh
Fax: 0091 512 297142

Shri Sharad Yadav
Minister for Labour
Government of India
New Delhi - 110 003
Fax: 0091 11 3017118

Dr. P d Shenoy
Secretary
Ministry of Labour
Government of India
New Delhi - 110 001
Fax: 0091 11 3855679


Dear sirs,

I was informed of the gruesome fire accident that in the morning of  May 24
destroyed  Shree Jee International, a footwear manufacturing factory located
in Jeoni Mandi area of Agra city, in Uttar Pradesh, producing for the
European market.  According to official figures, 42 workers died in the
accident and 11 were injured. A fact finding team inclusive of the central
trade unions AITUC, CITU, HMS, AICCTU and the Centre for Education and
Communication was formed under the auspices of the National Campaign on
Labour Rights to probe into the accident and look at the safety procedures
followed by the footwear units dealing with inflammable material and role of
the labour department and the factory inspectorate in implementing the
provisions of the law and protecting the lives of workers.

As a consumer concerned for the respect of labour rights, I call on you to
implement as soon as possible the recommendations that the fact finding team
sent to both the employers and authorities after visiting Agra on May 29-30,
2002 when it became clear that numerous labour laws were violated, resulting
not only in a disastrous fire but also in the high death toll.

I hope to be soon hearing positive news in this regard.

Yours sincerely,

(nome e cognome, eventuale associazione di appartenenza, indirizzo)

SCRIVETE LA SEGUENTE MAIL/FAX AGLI ACQUIRENTI INGLESI PER CHIEDERE QUALI
MISURE INTENDONO ADOTTARE PER: 1) DARE ASSISTENZA ALLE FAMIGLIE DELLE
VITTIME, AI FERITI, AI LAVORATORI RIMASTI SENZA REDDITO E ALLE LORO
FAMIGLIE; 2) DARE ATTUAZIONE ALLE RACCOMANDAZIONI STILATE DAL COMITATO DI
INDAGINE; 3) FAR SI' CHE INCIDENTI COME QUELLO DELLA SHREE JEE INTERNATIONAL
NON DEBBANO PIU' ACCADERE

Barratts Shoes
Stylo plc
BRADFORD
Fax 0044-1274616111 email: enquiries@stylo.co.uk

Jacobson Group
Bacup Rd Rawtenstall Lancashire BB4 7PA
Fax: 0044-1706 214324
Email: sales@jacobsongroup.co.uk

Gardiner Bros & Co (Leathers) Ltd
Alvin Street - Gloucester
Fax. 0044-1 452 307220

Dear Sirs,

I was informed of the gruesome fire accident that in the morning of  May 24
destroyed  Shree Jee International, a footwear manufacturing factory located
in Jeoni Mandi area of Agra city, in Uttar Pradesh, producing for your
company.  According to official figures, 42 workers died in the accident and
11 were injured. A fact finding team inclusive of the central trade unions
AITUC, CITU, HMS, AICCTU and the Centre for Education and Communication was
formed under the auspices of the National Campaign on Labour Rights to probe
into the accident and look at the safety procedures followed by the footwear
units dealing with inflammable material and role of the labour department
and the factory inspectorate in implementing the provisions of the law and
protecting the lives of workers.

As a consumer concerned for the respect of labour rights, I call on you to
clarify to the consumers how it is possible that such an accident happened
at one of your supplier factories and explain what steps you will undertake
with respect to the families of the deceased workers and with respect to the
injured and jobless workers and their families, what steps you are
undertaking to ensure that the recommendations of the fact finding team are
met, what changes you are making in your policies to prevent this from ever
happening again.

I hope to be soon hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

(nome e cognome, eventuale associazione di appartenenza, indirizzo)

---------------------
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ersilia.monti@mclink.it

Ersilia Monti
(Coordinamento lombardo nord/sud del mondo - Rete di Lilliput Nodo di
Milano)
P.le Governo Provvvisorio 6
20127 Milano
tel.02-26140345
email: ersilia.monti@mclink.it
-------------------

-----Messaggio originale-----
Da: owner-cleanclothes@xs4all.nl [mailto:owner-cleanclothes@xs4all.nl]
Inviato: mercoledì 26 giugno 2002 11.50
Oggetto: [cleanclothes] Fire kills at least 42 workers in shoe factory
in India


Urgent action required

Shree Jee International, a footwear manufacturing unit based in Agra, India
and exporting to among others the UK and Ireland caught fire between 10-00
am and 10-15 am in the morning of May 24, 2002; resulting in a devastating
accident. According to official figures, 42 workers died in the accident
and 11 were injured.  One of the injured worker in Safdarjung Hospital
succumbed to his injuries on May 29, 2002.

The factory employing around 300 workers (of which between 200 and 250 were
present) had only one door used for entrance and exit. There were five
windows in the front and two at the back which were closed and heavily
secured with wire mesh. There was one more door, completely locked,
connecting the adjacent factory, Tej Shoes. At the time of the accident the
only door at the entrance of the factory was locked.

There are two versions to the cause of fire in the factory: it could be due
to an electric spark from the power line or as the workers said from the
lighted cigarette/match stick thrown by the owner. The fire ignited the
solutions, softner and other chemicals stored in the first room next to the
door. The fire and subsequent explosions blocked any exit through that door.
Most of the workers who survived were rescued by breaking open the two
windows at the back and the door connecting Tej Shoes. Amar Singh, a worker
rescued eight workers including children but could not survive himself as
he was engulfed by the smoke and fire. His body was found hanging from one
of the two windows. There were around 200 to 250 workers in the factory
when the accident occurred.

Centre for Education and Communication (CEC), New Delhi, a labour support
and labour research organisation discussed the issue with the leaders of
the Central Trade Unions AITUC, CITU, HMS, AICCTU. It was felt that the
incident calls for an immediate enquiry. Agra being an important footwear
manufacturing centre providing employment to thousands, the enquiry may
throw light on the conditions that prevailed in the footwear industry in
Agra. Subsequently, it was decided to form a fact finding team inclusive of
above mentioned trade unions under the auspices of the National Campaign on
Labour Rights (NCLR) to probe into the accident and look at the safety
procedures followed by the footwear units dealing with inflammable material
and role of the labour department and the factory inspectorate in
implementing the provisions of the Factory Act and protecting the lives of
workers.

The team visited Agra on 29-30 May 2002 and found that numerous labour laws
were violated, resulting not only in a disastrous fire but also in the high
death toll. The company owner, the local administration and the foreign
buyers all can be held responsible.

The company has produces exclusively for the export market. In Mumbai the
contract was with four companies namely: Jishu Exports, Kejriwal Exports,
Choudhary International and Chandan. The goods prepared had shipment marks
to London and Dublin. They were at times sent to Germany also. Many a times
foreign delegates visited the factory to check the quality of shoes.

The shoes had labels of Saffron, Toddy, Narisa, Toscana, Barratts and
Simona pasted on them with price tags indicating values in pound sterling.
Shipping documents indicated that the shoes were meant for Barratts Co.,
Jacobson Footwear and Gardiner Bros. of UK. A shipping label was marked
"Ship to Dublin". Half burnt brochures of a German super market chain was
found but the name of the super market could not be retrieved.

Since the fire, the following steps have been undertaken:
1. Owner Sunil Goyal has been held criminally liable for the accident in
his factory and cases under IPC 304 and SC/ST Atrocities Act have been
filed against him.
2. On May 26, 2002, when Ms. Mayawati, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
visited the Agra in relation to the accident, she disbursed Rs.50,000 each
to the families of the deceased and Rs.10,000 to the injured. The district
administration also disbursed Rs.10,000 each to the families of the
deceased.
3. The Deputy Labour Commissioner's office has worked out a compensation
package of Rs 2 lakhs each for the families of the deceased under Workmen's
Compensation Act. The owner's assets were also being evaluated. However,
the administration has not made it clear to the team how the total amount
of Rs.84 lakhs will be recovered from the owner.
4. The Agra Footwear Manufacturers' and Exporters' Chamber has promised
Rs.10 lakhs for the families of the deceased and offered job to one member
each from these families in the footwear industry.
5. The District Magistrate has constituted four task forces with the City
Magistrates, Assistant Directors of Factories, Labour Enforcement Officers,
Representatives of fire service and Agra Footwear Manufacturers' and
Exporters' Chambers as members, to go into the details of the safety
measures for the footwear manufacturing units in Agra.
6. The District Magistrate has also given a specific time frame of 15 days
to the illegally operating footwear units to get themselves registered.

Below you can find the recommendations of the Fact Finding Team.  The full
report will be posted at our website tomorrow, under the urgent appeals
section. We urge you to write letters to both the authorities in Agra,
India and to the buyers in the UK.
The authorities should be asked to implement the recommendations of the
fact finding team as soon as possible.
The buyers should be asked:
- to clarify to the consumers how it is possible that this happened at one
of their supplier factories
- what steps they will undertake with respect to families of the deceased
workers and with respect the injured and jobless workers and their families
- what steps they are undertaking to ensure that the recommendations of the
fact finding team are met
- what changes they are making in their policies to prevent this from ever
happening again

THE LIST OF ADRESSES OF THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES AND OF SEVERAL OF THE
BUYERS IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS MESSAGE.

Recommendations of the Fact Finding Team

I. Compensation and Job
1. The compensation to the families of the dead and the injured workers has
not been calculated as per the law. Whatever compensation given as
political gesture by the UP Government and the district administration has
provided succour to the families; but that is clearly not enough.
Compensation is not a matter of tokenism, but a right.
2. The aspects of (a). duration of remaining injured and thereby being out
of work, (b). the ability of the injured to go back to the same occupation,
and (c). permanent disability have not been looked into. These aspects
should be considered while working out the compensation.
3. Compensation is not just the monetary reward. It should include
assurance of job for the injured.
4. The Administration should monitor the implementation of the promise
given by the Footwear Exporters Association to provide employment to one
person from the family of the workers who died in the accident.
5. We demand that the District Magistrate prepare a comprehensive
compensation package listing monetary compensation and placements of all
workers.

II. Task Force
1. The trade unions and civil society representatives should be immediately
included as members of the four task forces constituted by the District
Magistrate.

III. Social Security Fund for Footwear Workers
1. The Central and State governments should take immediate steps to
constitute a Social Security Fund for the footwear workers with
contributions from the Manufacturers/Exporters, Government and the Workers.
2. The concerned authorities including the labour department should evolve
a mechanism for registering workers in the footwear industry of Agra at two
levels: (a) at the footwear industry level and (b) at factory level.

IV. Awareness on Labour Rights and Provisions in the Factories Act, 1948
1. A two year Programme should be developed by the labour department and
the factories directorate which aims at creating awareness among the
footwear industry employers on the various rights of workers and provisions
of the Factories Act and the need for such safety procedures.
2. The labour department should ensure payment of minimum wages to the
workers.

V. Training Programmes
1. The Labour Department, with the assistance of the District
Administration should evolve a comprehensive in-house Training Programme
for workers in the industry on various safety provisions, handling of
safety equipment and emergency measures to be taken in case of sudden fires
and accidents within the factories using chemicals, in particular, the
footwear manufacturing units. Convergence of expertise and experience
should be ensured by roping in the fire services, civil defence, St. John's
Ambulance and the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) etc in
implementing this programme.

VI. Responsibility of the Labour Department
1. The State Government should immediately withdraw the controversial
circular by the Chief Secretary instructing labour inspectors to seek prior
permission of the District Magistrate to conduct inspections of factories.
2. Labour Department should be made more responsible and accountable.
3. Within the next three months the district administration should publish
in public the information regarding the total number of registered footwear
units in Agra and what steps have been taken for those units which were
still operating unregistered. The District Magistrate should ensure
periodic inspection of the factories, a time frame of which should be
framed and accountability and liability for the inspections should be
established.

VII. Culpability of the Guilty
1. Proper culpability should be established and those guilty should be
prosecuted to establish accountability.
2. In the era of globalisation, in which production takes place over an
international division of labour, the Mumbai based exporters and the
International buyers should be considered as principal employers and their
accountability and liability established.

ADRESSES OF THE AUTHORITIES

Agra Footwear Manufacturers' & Exporters' Chamber
c/o Tej Shoe Factory
John Mills, Jeoni Mandi
Agra - 282 004, India
Fax: 91 562 362161

Ms. Mayawati
Chief Minister
Government of Uttar Pradesh
Residence of the Chief Minister
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Fax: 91 522 230002

Ms. Johara Chatterjee
Labour Commissioner
Government of Uttar Pradesh
Sarvodaya Nagar
G T Road, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Fax: 91 512 297142

Shri Sharad Yadav
Minister for Labour
Government of India
7, Tughlak Road
New Delhi - 110 003
Fax: 91 11 3017118

Dr. P d Shenoy
Secretary
Ministry of Labour
Government of India
Shram Shakti Bhavan, Rafi Marg,
New Delhi - 110 001
Fax: 91 11 3855679

ADRESSES OF THE BUYERS

Barratts Shoes
Stylo plc
Harrogate Road
Apperley Bridge
BRADFORD
BD10 0NW Telephone : +44-1274 893845 Facsimile : +44-1274616111 email :
enquiries@stylo.co.uk


Jacobson Group
Bacup Rd Rawtenstall Lancashire BB4 7PA
Tel: +44-1706 212512
Fax: +44-1706 214324
Email: sales@jacobsongroup.co.uk
Web: www.gola.co.uk


Gardiner Bros & Co (Leathers) Ltd
Alvin Street
Gloucester
GL1 3EJ
Tel. +44-1 452 523900
Fax. +44-1 452 307220

Clean Clothes Campaign
PO Box 11584
1001 GN Amsterdam
The Netherlands
tel: + 31 20 4122785
fax: + 31 20 4122786
e-mail:ccc@xs4all.nl

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