NHRC Issues Notices To Centre, States And UTs Over High Death Rate Of Factory Workers

NHRC has issued notices to the Centre, States, and UTs over the reported high death rate of workers. Governments have been asked to submit a detailed report on the matter soon.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday issued a press release in which it states that notices have been issued to the Centre, States, and Union Territories over the reported high death rate of workers in accidents in registered factories and the measures taken to protect their human rights. The NHRC has also asked for a detailed report in this regard.

According to the release, NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of a newspaper article that according to the Ministry of Labour & Employment’s Directorate General Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI) data 3 people died and 11 got injured every day on an average due to some kind of accidents in the registered factories across the country.

As many as 3331 deaths were recorded between 2018 and 2020 but only 14 people were imprisoned for offences under the Factories Act, 1948, the NHRC said in its statement.

The press release said, "The data collected by DGFASLI from Chief Inspectors of Factories and Directors of Industrial Safety and Health represents that only registered factories have provided the data, whereas, 90% workers in India are employed in the informal sector. Even after two years of passing the new occupational safety and health code, it is yet to be implemented."

NHRC has asked Chief Secretaries / Principal Secretaries, Department of Labour of all the States and Union Territories to provide detailed reports stating the number of workers that died due to accidents, compensation paid to the family members of the deceased, prosecution initiated against factory owners and the number of safety officers employed.

The release read, "The Commission has issued notices to all the Chief Secretaries / Principal Secretaries, Department of Labour of all the States and Union Territories to provide detailed reports with respect to the death/incapacity of workers/employees due to accidents in the factories in their jurisdictions and the compensation paid to the injured / next of kin of the deceased, prosecution initiated against the occupier/factory owners and the number of safety officers employed as per Section 40B of the Factories Act, 1948."

"The reports must contain year-wise reports of the Chief Inspector of Factories taking measures against defaulting factory owners including prosecution for the period from 2017 to 2022 in a tabulated form. Measures taken by the States / UTs for effective implementation of the various provisions of the Factories Act, 1948, must also be part of the reports," the statement added.

NHRC has also issued a notice to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Labour & Employment to submit an action taken report within six weeks which will address the implementation of the occupational Safety Health and Working Conditions Code. The report must also contain the measures taken or are being taken for improving human rights conditions in respect of factory workers across India.