At least 47 workers were killed and many more were severely injured, when a fireworks factory exploded in Tangerang district, Indonesia on Thursday, October 26. Located in one of biggest industrial area in Indonesia, the PT Panca Buana Cahaya Sukses (PBCS) factory is now being suspected by the Indonesian Ministry of Manpower of not having appropriate work safety procedures. The allegation came after it was discovered that the factory gate was always locked and this trapped many workers inside the factory when the accident occurred.
The Indonesia Manpower Act 13/2003 obliges that the company must have an occupational safety and health management system. The management system includes safety procedure for emergency situation, such as fires. However, the fact that a large number of workers died and severely injured, indicates that the PT. PBSC does not have any safety procedure for emergency situations.
Moreover, one of the casualties identified is child under working age. Siti Fatimah was only 15 years old as autopsy result has come. Clearly, the facts indicate that the company violated the Manpower Act.
Such incidents and violations are not uncommon. In 2017, there have been two more factory explosions in Indonesia, a paint factory owned by PT. Asia Permai Mandiri in Bekasi, and a plastic factory in North CIkarang. The conditions of these workplaces are similar to what happened with the Rana Plaza Collapse in Bangladesh, when the building collapsed and killed 1,134 workers and injured hundreds of others.
A large number of incidents of this nature that occur in Asia are related to the absence of poor safety standards and intentional negligence that contribute to these industrial accidents. These recurring accidents shows us that the growing global economy neglects the basic workers’ rights. For the sake of profit, the safety and life of workers are placed in danger. The decision of the management to disregard the occupational safety and health management system in the workplace and the cost cutting decisions taken on health and safety standards are aimed at keeping production cost low thereby maintaining its competitive status in the global market of supply chains and sourcing.
This needs to stop and AMRC demands that the life-threatening working conditions that the workers are facing must be addressed and workers lives, safety and health should be prioritised over profit. As the International Labour Standards on Occupational Safety and Health has been globally recognized and accepted, thus any violation should be heavily punished by law and enforcement must be swift. The employer must take responsibility for the death of the workers and held accountable according to the law and to the family of the deceased workers. AMRC stands in solidarity with the survivors and the family members of the deceased workers who were snatched cruelly by this heinous act.