PESHAWAR, Dec 29: Speakers at a conference on Thursday demanded strict enforcement of laws on registration of miners for protection of their rights.

The one-day conference on ‘Rights of mineworkers’ was organised by the Citizen Rights and Sustainable Development (CRSD) in collaboration with ActionAid Pakistan at a local hotel.

Noted among the speakers were deputy secretary of provincial mine and mineral department Irfanullah Khan, Idrees Kamal of CRSD, lawyers Imdad Khan and Abdus Salam, Luqmanuddin Khattak, People’s Labour Bureau, Mohammad Rafique of Pakistan Workers Federation, Ejaz Durrani of civil society, Mushtaq of Muttahida Labour Federation and Mustajab Mazdoor Yar of Wapda Hydro Union, Peshawar.

They said most miners were unaware of their legal and constitutional rights for being uneducated.

According to them, around 99 per cent of the marble factory and mine workers are illiterate and know nothing about the Employment Old Age Benefit Institution working as the employees’ social security institution.

They said the Workers’ Welfare Board had entitled workers registered with the employees’ social security institutions, including EOBI, to death grant, dowry and other benefits but the poor marble factory and mine workers had been denied registration for the same.

Lawyers Abdus Salam and Imdad Khan highlighted problems of miners in Buner district and complained of the mine inspectors’ indifference towards them and said the said officials protected the interests of leaseholders.

They said mine landholders illegally forced miners to work at nighttime with inspectors’ connivance, adding that the practice led to many deaths over a period of time.

Mr Imdad said more than 600 labourers registered with different companies suffered injures and 70 lost life over the last few years, while the Workers Welfare Board offered death grant and other benefits to their families.

He alleged that leasing companies had been forcing families of the dead workers into paying loans their members never secured.

The lawyer said explosives used for mining inflicted serious damage to the health of workers and that miners were never trained on mine blasting and how to work in sensitive areas. He also said unfortunately, most leaseholders didn’t provide miners with tools, helmets and drinking water and thus, risking their life.

Mr Rafique said the government had declared mines an industry but even then, miners were being denied privileges of the Workers Welfare Board.