Karachi textile factory fire

[Janig]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19566851

Hundreds of people are thought dead in what is a tragic example of working conditions in the developing world. The factory was poorly designed with little-no fire safety which ofcourse is common practise in poor places, but the thought that we may get cheap clothing at the cost of poeples lives is sickening.

Do we have any detectives prepared to search for the factory's supply links? What part of the garment industry does the factory represent? For example am I wearing a shirt produced there?

 

[Cutlass]

Terrible. I don't know what else to say.

 

[Janig]

Ok so according to Indiatimes.com the factory mainly made underwear, but also had a plastic utensils section. Numerous reports say the factory is located in Baldia Town, Karachi, and some specify Hub River Road but I doubt that.

 

[GoodGame]

Horrible building codes: "Hundreds were trapped inside - the building had metal grilles on the windows and no fire exits. Many workers jumped from the upper floors."

That is nearly a deathtrap.

 

[Joecoolyo]

Why does this sound so familiar?

Hopefully a tragedy like this will spur changes in building codes so it can't happen again like the one above did.

 

[Cutlass]

Why does this sound so familiar?

Hopefully a tragedy like this will spur changes in building codes so it can't happen again like the one above did.

That only spurred changes in the midst of an overall reform movement that had a lot of pro-labor elements. And that is what is needed, reform that puts a lot more power in the hands of labor.

 

[Janig]

I have a boycott in mind for the meantime. I mean all my life Ive been aware of incidents like this, and obviously its still happening. I found this link a minute ago http://www.google.com/hostednews/af...ocId=CNG.1476c9a50ef002a2a8738bf599960fbe.c31 which alleges the company name Ali Enterprises and specifies the Hub River Road location.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Why does this sound so familiar?

Hopefully a tragedy like this will spur changes in building codes so it can't happen again like the one above did.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fires are just as inevitable as Bhopal, at least until the value of human life everywhere eventually becomes as great as it now is in the US. That is, if it will ever happen.

 

[Traitorfish]

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fires are just as inevitable as Bhopal, at least until the value of human life everywhere eventually becomes as great as it now is in the US.

Setting your bar rather low.

 

[Formaldehyde]

How so? It isn't me who thinks that all humans shouldn't be treated with basic respect and dignity, no matter where they live or what their net worth might happen to be.

 

[AlpsStranger]

Damn.

 

[Antilogic]

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fires are just as inevitable as Bhopal, at least until the value of human life everywhere eventually becomes as great as it now is in the US. That is, if it will ever happen.

Setting your bar rather low.

I think it's important to note that the US of the 10s through the 70s was much more friendly to labor than it is today, and had less of a problem insuring basic worker safety. This was largely a result of the public reaction to the Triangle fire as well as other industrial disasters leading up to this period.

On the subject, I have seen the number of deaths reported as variously 260+, 264, and 289. Not sure which one is right, can anyone verify?

 

[AlpsStranger]

I think it's important to note that the US of the 10s through the 70s was much more friendly to labor DIRTY GODLESS COMMUNISM than it is today

Fixed.

 

[Angst]

Damnit! Now a marginal part our outsourcing investments is lost! Western domination only at 98% effeciency now.

 

[Cutlass]

I think it's important to note that the US of the 10s through the 70s was much more friendly to labor than it is today, and had less of a problem insuring basic worker safety. This was largely a result of the public reaction to the Triangle fire as well as other industrial disasters leading up to this period.

On the subject, I have seen the number of deaths reported as variously 260+, 264, and 289. Not sure which one is right, can anyone verify?

Also should be noted, no matter how anti-labor the US has become over the last couple decades, deaths and injuries among industrial workers is pretty low here. Maybe not as low as other places, but we haven't descended to third world status on that. Mining, now that's a different story. But even our mines are better than third world mines most of the time.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Yet there is still much resistance to the EPA, the FDA, and any additional measures to assure that businesses don't kill us from their greed and general lack of morals. The number of inspectors and the budgets of these regulatory organizations are typically radically decreased whenever a Republican assumes the presidency, and any additional laws are usually fought tooth and nail in Congress.

 

[AlpsStranger]

Yet there is still much resistance to the EPA, the FDA, and any additional measures to assure that businesses don't kill us from their greed and general lack of morals. The number of inspectors is typically radically decreased whenever a Republican assumes the presidency.

If you can't enslave poor people in a sweatshop then where's the motivation for having money?

 

[Farm Boy]

Also should be noted, no matter how anti-labor the US has become over the last couple decades, deaths and injuries among industrial workers is pretty low here. Maybe not as low as other places, but we haven't descended to third world status on that. Mining, now that's a different story. But even our mines are better than third world mines most of the time.

They are better, even if they aren't great. It took us loss before we changed though. This isn't too far from me. A visit to the cemetery in that tiny town is almost enough to make a grown man cry. Let's hope this most recent factory fire can at least be used to spur some semblance of good.

 

[Cutlass]

Yet there is still much resistance to the EPA, the FDA, and any additional measures to assure that businesses don't kill us from their greed and general lack of morals. The number of inspectors and the budgets of these regulatory organizations are typically radically decreased whenever a Republican assumes the presidency, and any additional laws are usually fought tooth and nail in Congress.

I agree that it's short of where it could be. But we shouldn't overlook the gains that have occurred.

They are better, even if they aren't great. It took us loss before we changed though. This isn't too far from me. A visit to the cemetery in that tiny town is almost enough to make a grown man cry. Let's hope this most recent factory fire can at least be used to spur some semblance of good.

Mines are not regulated by OSHA. And so get a much lower level of regulation. Resulting in notably higher death rate.