On 29 October, the Shanghai Daily published an article highlighting the problem that more and more migrant workers in China are contracting occupational diseases as many private enterprises have not provided enough occupational health and safety measures for their workers.
Citing several cases of serious occupational health problems found among migrant workers, the paper said: "After three or five years of hard work, some get kicked out because they are suffering from certain occupational diseases and they receive little or no compensation. The high mortality rate of these diseases then worsens the plight of already badly off families."
In one case, Liao Shide, who worked at a gold mill in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, suffered from a serious lung disease after being exposed to a working environment full of mineral-laden dust and he had to retire just after five years of work there. He passed away this year and was the 12th man in his village to die after returning from work at the gold mill.
The newspaper also quoted two other cases of serious lung disease seen among migrant workers. In 2002, 80 peasant workers from Henan Province contracted lung disease due to a lack of dust control at their workplace in Yixin, Jiangsu Province. In 2003, hundreds of peasant workers from Guizhou Province contracted lung disease as they were exposed to mineral dust at their workplace in Xianyou, Fujian Province. Nineteen of them have died since returning home.
"With no dust control, no personal protection measures and no proper exhaust ventilation at workplaces, the country is carrying the financial burden of paying for the treatment of workers with severe occupational diseases as well as the loss of their labour," the paper said. It called on Chinese authorities to make policies to regulate profit-oriented enterprises and raise both the employers' and workers' awareness about preventing occupational diseases. "Otherwise, people looking for "a better life" will end up losing their health — or their life," the paper said.
Source: Shanghai Daily (29 October 2005) http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2005/10/29/208595/Migrant_workers_are_…
31 October 2005
Citing several cases of serious occupational health problems found among migrant workers, the paper said: "After three or five years of hard work, some get kicked out because they are suffering from certain occupational diseases and they receive little or no compensation. The high mortality rate of these diseases then worsens the plight of already badly off families."
In one case, Liao Shide, who worked at a gold mill in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, suffered from a serious lung disease after being exposed to a working environment full of mineral-laden dust and he had to retire just after five years of work there. He passed away this year and was the 12th man in his village to die after returning from work at the gold mill.
The newspaper also quoted two other cases of serious lung disease seen among migrant workers. In 2002, 80 peasant workers from Henan Province contracted lung disease due to a lack of dust control at their workplace in Yixin, Jiangsu Province. In 2003, hundreds of peasant workers from Guizhou Province contracted lung disease as they were exposed to mineral dust at their workplace in Xianyou, Fujian Province. Nineteen of them have died since returning home.
"With no dust control, no personal protection measures and no proper exhaust ventilation at workplaces, the country is carrying the financial burden of paying for the treatment of workers with severe occupational diseases as well as the loss of their labour," the paper said. It called on Chinese authorities to make policies to regulate profit-oriented enterprises and raise both the employers' and workers' awareness about preventing occupational diseases. "Otherwise, people looking for "a better life" will end up losing their health — or their life," the paper said.
Source: Shanghai Daily (29 October 2005) http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2005/10/29/208595/Migrant_workers_are_…
31 October 2005