The NHRC issues notice over high death rate of factory workers
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Centre, states and the Union territories on 2nd February 2023 over the reported high death rate of workers in accidents in the registered factories and the measures taken for ensuring protection of their human rights.
The Commission took suo motu cognizance of a recent media report that revealed three people died and 11 were injured each day, on average, between 2017 and 2022 due to accidents in the registered factories of the country. The report by IndiaSpend cited data from the Union Ministry of Labour & Employment’s Directorate General Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI). According to the DGFASLI data, 3,331 deaths were recorded between 2018 and 2020, but only 14 people were imprisoned for offences under the Factories Act of 1948.
The NHRC in a statement said, “The Commission feels that the gravity of the matter, as highlighted in the newspaper article, raises serious concerns about the human rights of the workers in various business enterprises, including factories”. It has also sent a notice to the secretary of the Union Ministry of Labour & Employment to submit an action taken report with regard to the implementation of the Occupational Safety Health and Working Conditions Code and the measures taken or to be taken for improving the human rights conditions of the factory workers across the country. The response to the NHRC notice is expected within six weeks.
The notice calls for year wiser reports of the chief inspector of factories taking measures against defaulting factory owners including prosecution for the period from 2017-2022 in a tabulated form. Measures taken by states/ UTS for effective implementation of the various provisions of the Factories Act 1948, must also be part of the reports , the commission said in a statement.
News Courtesy: ANI
