Modern Day Slavery?

Bonded Labour in Pakistan's Brick Industry

By Ray Fulcher and Linda Waldron

Lahore – In December 2004 we accompanied Mahmoud Butt, field co-coordinator for the Pakistan Brick Kiln Workers Union (PBKWU), to a brick factory on the outskirts of Lahore. There we met families of workers, including children as young as four, that labour in these brick factories for below poverty line wages and who are regularly bought and sold by the factory owners.

The number of brick factories and their workers in Pakistan is uncertain and collating this data is a priority task for the PBKWU. Some data is available and, as an example, in the two districts that cover Lahore (there are 10 districts in Pakistan) the following figures have been confirmed by the union:

Lahore South:
Factories – 222
Women workers – 21 090
Male workers – 17 760
Child workers – 14 430

Lahore East:
Factories – 301
Women workers – 27 090
Male workers – 21 070
Child workers – 24 080

All brick factories and their workers are supposed to be registered by the government. Registration confers some government benefits and workers are able to access social security benefits if registered. Yet, according to the union, 85% of the factories and their workers remain unregistered. One of the first actions of the union when it comes to a new factory is to ascertain from the workers whether the factory if registered. If it is not they organise the workers to take protest action in support of registration

The workers are paid at piece rates for the number of bricks they produce. The minimum wage board of government had decided in 1998 that they be provided for a payment rate of at least184 rupees per 1000 bricks, previously there had been no legal protection for brick kiln workers. According to Mahmoud the workers are currently only paid 100-130 rupees per 1000 bricks. This amount is only paid to the male head of the family, whereas the whole family – men, women and children – will work.

In a day, working from 6am to 7pm, a family can produce between 1000 to 1500 bricks. When sold on the open market the factory owner will receive around 3000 rupees for a 1000 bricks. One of the union’s top demands is for a rate increase to at least 350 rupees per 1000 bricks.

Another of the union’s demands is for the abolition of bonded labour in the industry. The Pakistan government legislated an end to bonded labour in 1992. However, no effect was given to this law and the PBKWU says that 80-90% of the brick kiln workers are bonded laborers. They commonly have a 30 000 – 50 000 rupee debt to be paid off to their employers. The factory owners often work their labourers for one year then sell them on to another factory, often in another district. The workers at one factory also told us that it was common for employers to imprison those they considered potential “flight risks” and that they had cells at the factories for this purpose.

An ex-brick kiln worker we met in Toba Tek Singh (in Punjab about 4 hours from Lahore) told us he had fled a particularly onerous brick factory in Lahore and the employer was still holding and working his wife and seven children. The case became a nationally known when the BKWU filed a writ petition in Lahore High Court on behalf of this Toba brik kiln worker that his eight children must be produced. The court ordered the police officer in charge of the area to produce the children. He tried to fool the court three times he was called by the court that he can not find the children.

The court in a historic decision agreed with Rabia Bajwa, the union advocate, that it is responsibility of the state to find the children. The court ordered the arrest of the police officers within the courtroom until the children are produced. On 13th January, five out of seven children including the mother were released. The Union addressed a press conference on 14th January to demand the release of the rest of the children.

The workers must rent sub-standard housing at the kiln site from the factory owners and pay exorbitant rates for power and water. In one factory the workers were paying around 600 rupees per month to power a single light bulb.

According to Mahmoud the union is campaigning on a number of key demands. These include: registration of all brick factories, abolition of child labour, for age and disability pensions, worker involvement in setting rates, an end to violence against women and abolition of bonded labour and bond debts.

The union faces difficulties in organising such a large and diverse industry, especially given that due to their financial limitations they can currently only afford one field co-ordinator.