(Broadcast on April 4, 2001)
At 9am on Monday April 2, a gas explosion in Henan province killed eight miners and injured five. The explosion took place in a privately contracted mineshaft in Mi County near Zhengzhou City. After the accident, the mine operator absconded and the original owners of Shaft No.24, Peigou Mine, under the Zhengzhou Mine Bureau Coal Group, tried to put responsibility for the accident onto the local Mi County Coal Bureau. The latter tried to pass the buck back to the Peigou Mine and neither side would accept responsibility for management of the mineshaft. As a result, there was no attempt to rescue the miners and some of the bodies have been left in the shaft.
This is the reality of Chinas coal mining industry where privatisation and under-investment in health and safety lead to thousands of deaths and injuries every year. Whenever possible, CLB tries to follow up reports of an accident by telephoning workers and officials in the area, attempting to build up a full picture of what is happening and pressure ACFTU officials into pursuing just compensation.
The practice of sub-contracting out individual shafts belonging to state-owned mines is now very common in China and has undoubtedly contributed to the sharp rise in fatalities. It has also become a convenient way for mining officials to shirk their responsibility as the following transcript of a series of telephone calls made to various officials in the Zhengzhou area reveals.
------------------------------------
After the news of the Mi county explosion broke, CLB telephoned the Zhengzhou Group, Peigou Mine Production Department and spoke to a cadre:
CLB:
Is there a Shaft No. 24 at the mine?
Cadre:
I am not too sure.
CLB:
Is this the Peigou Mine?
Cadre:
Yes. How did you find out about the accident?
CLB:
Have you heard anything about any other accidents in the area?
Cadre:
Er No. I havent heard anything. Excuse me (hangs up)
CLB then rang the Peigou Mine Safety Department:
CLB:
Who is actually in charge of the shaft where the accident took place?
Cadre:
Im not too sure.
CLB:
Are you in charge of safety at the Peigou Mine?
Cadre:
Um I look after quality control in safety matters.
CLB:
Is the shaft involved in the accident managed by the Peigou Mine?
Cadre:
Not anymore.
CLB:
Then who is running it?
Cadre:
Mi County Coal Bureau.
------------------------------------
CLBs Han Dongfang then rang the Mi County Coal Bureau but was told the shaft in question was not registered with the bureau.
Cadre:
That shaft is under the jurisdiction of the Zhengzhou City Coal Bureau.
CLB:
Is it in the Mi county area?
Cadre:
Yes. But we dont look after that one.
CLB:
What does your bureau look after?
Cadre:
We look after township and village mines and privately operated mines. If you ring back at three oclock this afternoon I might be able to tell you more. I need to make some inquiries.
------------------------------------
CLB then spoke with a trade union official from the Peigou Mine:
ACFTU:
There has been no gas explosion at the Peigou Mine. There hasnt been one for decades.
CLB:
Have you heard of a recent accident at any of the smaller mines and shafts in the area?
ACFTU:
I heard there was an explosion in one shaft, but we dont know any details.
CLB:
Where did it take place?
ACFTU:
In a small shaft that doesnt belong to our group.
CLB telephoned the Zhengzhou Mine Bureau Trade Union office where an official confirmed that the boss of the shaft where the accident had taken place had absconded and that no rescue operation had been organised. In his view, the Mi County Mine Bureau was avoiding its responsibilities:
ACFTU:
Some of the dead miners have been removed from the shaft and their relatives are very upset.
CLB:
Who is actually responsible for this type of mine?
ACFTU:
Mi County Mine Bureau.
CLB:
I have just talked to them and they say it is the responsibility of Zhengzhou Mine Bureau.
ACFTU:
Thats not true. They are just trying to shirk their responsibility.
------------------------------------
CLB again telephoned Mi County Mine Bureau, but a safety officer denied any connection with Shaft No. 24 and said the mine operator would have subcontracted the shaft from the Zhengzhou Coal Group.
Safety Officer:
This subcontracting is very common these days and makes it almost impossible for the local government to manage every shaft and pit.
CLB:
Then there must be a formal subcontracting agreement?
Safety Officer:
Thats right. Between the Peigou Mine and the operator. We are looking into this matter at the moment.
------------------------------------
CLB telephoned the Zhengzhou City Confederation of Trade Unions (ZCTU), where a frustrated trade union cadre exclaimed:
ZCTU:
You wont be able to get to the bottom of all this via the telephone. We often send people out to make investigations and they still cant find out what is going on. After an accident takes place, no one is willing to accept responsibility. I am afraid I cant tell you anymore about this incident. To tell you the truth, it is really bad for ordinary people. The officials wont take responsibility; the leaders wont either. Thats just how it is these days nobody gives a damn.
------------------------------------
Finally, CLB telephoned the Mi County branch of the ACFTU:
ACFTU:
We are not clear on the situation. The staff are working on investigations into the three representatives
CLB:
What does that mean? What are the three representatives?
ACFTU:
Its something that President Jiang Zemin has been advocating. The Party Committee has told us to work on the theory. (The three representatives theory refers to how the Chinese Communist Party must strive to represent the most advanced productive forces in society, the most advanced cultural forces and the interests of the broadest possible cross-section of the people Ed.)
CLB:
So the trade union is not working on the gas explosion case but carrying out an investigation into this so-called three representatives business.
ACFTU:
I am not too clear. The leaders are all out of the office at the moment.
CLB:
Where have they all gone?
ACFTU:
Down to the townships to work on the investigation I just told you about.
CLB:
And the health and safety department as well?
ACFTU:
Yes, they are very busy.
CLB:
Did they leave to work on the three representatives investigation after the accident?
ACFTU:
Yes. Its a priority for them.
At 9am on Monday April 2, a gas explosion in Henan province killed eight miners and injured five. The explosion took place in a privately contracted mineshaft in Mi County near Zhengzhou City. After the accident, the mine operator absconded and the original owners of Shaft No.24, Peigou Mine, under the Zhengzhou Mine Bureau Coal Group, tried to put responsibility for the accident onto the local Mi County Coal Bureau. The latter tried to pass the buck back to the Peigou Mine and neither side would accept responsibility for management of the mineshaft. As a result, there was no attempt to rescue the miners and some of the bodies have been left in the shaft.
This is the reality of Chinas coal mining industry where privatisation and under-investment in health and safety lead to thousands of deaths and injuries every year. Whenever possible, CLB tries to follow up reports of an accident by telephoning workers and officials in the area, attempting to build up a full picture of what is happening and pressure ACFTU officials into pursuing just compensation.
The practice of sub-contracting out individual shafts belonging to state-owned mines is now very common in China and has undoubtedly contributed to the sharp rise in fatalities. It has also become a convenient way for mining officials to shirk their responsibility as the following transcript of a series of telephone calls made to various officials in the Zhengzhou area reveals.
------------------------------------
After the news of the Mi county explosion broke, CLB telephoned the Zhengzhou Group, Peigou Mine Production Department and spoke to a cadre:
CLB:
Is there a Shaft No. 24 at the mine?
Cadre:
I am not too sure.
CLB:
Is this the Peigou Mine?
Cadre:
Yes. How did you find out about the accident?
CLB:
Have you heard anything about any other accidents in the area?
Cadre:
Er No. I havent heard anything. Excuse me (hangs up)
CLB then rang the Peigou Mine Safety Department:
CLB:
Who is actually in charge of the shaft where the accident took place?
Cadre:
Im not too sure.
CLB:
Are you in charge of safety at the Peigou Mine?
Cadre:
Um I look after quality control in safety matters.
CLB:
Is the shaft involved in the accident managed by the Peigou Mine?
Cadre:
Not anymore.
CLB:
Then who is running it?
Cadre:
Mi County Coal Bureau.
------------------------------------
CLBs Han Dongfang then rang the Mi County Coal Bureau but was told the shaft in question was not registered with the bureau.
Cadre:
That shaft is under the jurisdiction of the Zhengzhou City Coal Bureau.
CLB:
Is it in the Mi county area?
Cadre:
Yes. But we dont look after that one.
CLB:
What does your bureau look after?
Cadre:
We look after township and village mines and privately operated mines. If you ring back at three oclock this afternoon I might be able to tell you more. I need to make some inquiries.
------------------------------------
CLB then spoke with a trade union official from the Peigou Mine:
ACFTU:
There has been no gas explosion at the Peigou Mine. There hasnt been one for decades.
CLB:
Have you heard of a recent accident at any of the smaller mines and shafts in the area?
ACFTU:
I heard there was an explosion in one shaft, but we dont know any details.
CLB:
Where did it take place?
ACFTU:
In a small shaft that doesnt belong to our group.
CLB telephoned the Zhengzhou Mine Bureau Trade Union office where an official confirmed that the boss of the shaft where the accident had taken place had absconded and that no rescue operation had been organised. In his view, the Mi County Mine Bureau was avoiding its responsibilities:
ACFTU:
Some of the dead miners have been removed from the shaft and their relatives are very upset.
CLB:
Who is actually responsible for this type of mine?
ACFTU:
Mi County Mine Bureau.
CLB:
I have just talked to them and they say it is the responsibility of Zhengzhou Mine Bureau.
ACFTU:
Thats not true. They are just trying to shirk their responsibility.
------------------------------------
CLB again telephoned Mi County Mine Bureau, but a safety officer denied any connection with Shaft No. 24 and said the mine operator would have subcontracted the shaft from the Zhengzhou Coal Group.
Safety Officer:
This subcontracting is very common these days and makes it almost impossible for the local government to manage every shaft and pit.
CLB:
Then there must be a formal subcontracting agreement?
Safety Officer:
Thats right. Between the Peigou Mine and the operator. We are looking into this matter at the moment.
------------------------------------
CLB telephoned the Zhengzhou City Confederation of Trade Unions (ZCTU), where a frustrated trade union cadre exclaimed:
ZCTU:
You wont be able to get to the bottom of all this via the telephone. We often send people out to make investigations and they still cant find out what is going on. After an accident takes place, no one is willing to accept responsibility. I am afraid I cant tell you anymore about this incident. To tell you the truth, it is really bad for ordinary people. The officials wont take responsibility; the leaders wont either. Thats just how it is these days nobody gives a damn.
------------------------------------
Finally, CLB telephoned the Mi County branch of the ACFTU:
ACFTU:
We are not clear on the situation. The staff are working on investigations into the three representatives
CLB:
What does that mean? What are the three representatives?
ACFTU:
Its something that President Jiang Zemin has been advocating. The Party Committee has told us to work on the theory. (The three representatives theory refers to how the Chinese Communist Party must strive to represent the most advanced productive forces in society, the most advanced cultural forces and the interests of the broadest possible cross-section of the people Ed.)
CLB:
So the trade union is not working on the gas explosion case but carrying out an investigation into this so-called three representatives business.
ACFTU:
I am not too clear. The leaders are all out of the office at the moment.
CLB:
Where have they all gone?
ACFTU:
Down to the townships to work on the investigation I just told you about.
CLB:
And the health and safety department as well?
ACFTU:
Yes, they are very busy.
CLB:
Did they leave to work on the three representatives investigation after the accident?
ACFTU:
Yes. Its a priority for them.