DAVAO CITY – Activists here expressed solidarity with the workers of rubber slippers Kentex Manufacturing Incorporated who died in what was touted as the biggest factory fire in the country.
Seventy-two workers were burned to death while 20 more are still missing. The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said it was the third worst fire incident in the country after the Manor Hotel fire in 2001 which has 75 casualties and the Ozone disco fire in 1996 which claimed 160 lives.
The activists lit candles along the Freedom Park and demanded accountability from the company and the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole).
“Heads must roll. Both Kentex and Dole are at fault here,” said Carlo Olalo, spokesperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno in Southern Mindanao.
“This tragedy happened because Kentex neglected to comply with occupational health and fire safety standards while the Dole slept on the job of ensuring strict compliance of workplaces,” Olalo said.
Olalo cited the recent report of a fact-finding team organized by labor-rights organizations including the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development, Center for Trade Union and Human Rights, Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research, and KMU which pointed out several occupational health and safety standards.
The violations include: 1) no functioning or proper fire exits; 2) mishandling of chemical, Super Seal, which is a rubber emulsifier; 3) no fire alarms and fire drills; 4) no information and warning on the nature of chemicals.
In a television interview, Atty. Renato Paraiso of Kentex said they are basing their statements with factual documentations which includes compliance certificates issued to them by Dole and the BFP.
“With regards to fire exits and fire [safety] measures, sinunod po namin ang recommendation ng BFP (we followed the recommendation of the BFP),” Paraiso said.
Paraiso said they are confident that they have not violated any law as the Dole also issued them compliance certificate for a safe working environment.
But the KMU chided the Dole for handing out “bogus OHS compliance certificates” to Kentex.
“Naay panagkonsabo nilang duha, naa silay panagsabot pero wala na sila nag-inspect didto sa actual sa sulod sa empresa (They connived and agreed without actually inspecting inside the factory),” Olalo told Davao Today.
The group also demanded a pro-worker OHS law to replace Department Order 131-13 which promotes “self-assessment” with regard to OHS standards of companies.
Olalo also cited cases of workplace disasters in Mindanao including “the fire in Novo, Butuan City which claimed the lives of 17 women workers and the Superstar explosion in Ma-a, which resulted to the death of a worker.”
Olalo said that there are cases of OHS standards violations in some companies in the region which he refused to name because the workers are not yet ready to appear in public and testify.
Olalo said the companies include a desiccated coconut company and a business selling computer parts. He said they have already filed these cases to the International Labor Organization (ILO).
“Workers face accidents daily- desiccated coco workers lose their fingers, banana workers do not have adequate protective gear, workers are imprisoned inside company premises if they do not perform overtime work – but all these go unnoticed,” Olalo said.
Olalo said OHS concerns become public knowledge “only when there are deaths.” (davaotoday.com)
