Shipbreakers Campaign: Eight more shipbreakers burned to death in Bangladesh

Following on from earlier posts

http://workersunitinggroupnews.blogspot.com/2009/08/six-die-at-shipbreaking-yard-in-india.html

and the campaign on the deaths and exploitation of shipbreakers this report has been sent through to us.

"Eight more workers in Bangladesh were burned to death on December 26th, 2009, when the ship they were dismantling exploded.

The workers had been told that the gas tanks on the Agate oil tanker had been cleaned.

It was a lie. When the workers started to cut into the tank using their blow torches, the sparks set off a massive explosion, engulfing them in flames, which burned out of control for several hours.

Along with the eight workers killed, more than a dozen suffered serious burns.

The Rahim Steel & Shipbreaking Yard reputes to be the largest industrial steel complex in Bangladesh.

In 2009, 25 shipbreakers were killed, while a worker is seriously injured every day.

The workers, some of whom are 14 and 15 years of age, are paid just 22 to 32 cents an hour to do some of the most dangerous jobs in the world. The shipbreaking yards continue to violate with complete impunity even then most rudimentary health and safety standards and labor laws in Bangladesh".

We have a copy of the full report which will be emailed later.