Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Workers’ body seeks probe, change of rules

As the Uttarkashi tunnel collapse rescue work finally seemed to be on its last leg on the 11th day, the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions, Sectoral Federations/Associations on Wednesday (November 22) released a press note expressing anguish at the “failure of the authorities to take responsibility” for the incident that put 41 lives at stake.

It “exposes the callous attitude of the government towards occupational safety and health of the workers,” the release said, drawing attention to the chinks in the law regarding workplace safety which allow “laxity and violations of the existing norms” that get exposed with every such incident. Even the central monitoring team arrived late, the note mentioned.

Scant regard for safety

The workers’ body highlighted the fact that “escape routes/tunnels, which are compulsory to meet such emergency situations in construction of long tunnels, were not even planned!” According to the note, those involved in tunnel construction in India tend to overlook safety concerns and measures suggested by geologists and other experts to cut costs and maximise profits.

“Principles of New Austrian Tunnelling Method, which is both a construction method and a design philosophy, are also not followed in the true sense,” the press release says.

It also alleges that the Hume pipes placed in the Silkyara tunnel after an earlier accident had been removed even before completion of the work, raising “serious concerns” about “toxic gases being generated inside the tunnel” not being channelled out.

Workers’ demands

The trade unions’ platform has demanded that:

• The rescue operation be expedited. 
• A thorough probe be conducted into any laxity, at any level, right from tendering to various stages of work in the tunnel.
• The Occupational Safety and Health Code, based on the premise of “ease of doing business”, be withdrawn forthwith because weakens safety measures.
• The government ratify the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions about health and safety, which ILO brought under Fundamental Principles of Rights at Work in its 2022 session.
• The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, be withdrawn and the Indian Labour Conference (ILC) be held at the earliest to address the workers’ concerns on the codification of laws.