n the dusty outskirts of Faisalabad along Jhumra Road in Chak 39 GB, 34-year-old Khurram Shehzad and 50-year-old Muhammad Latif have recently returned to work at a brick kiln after recovering from injuries sustained in a workplace accident on April 20, when the outer wall of a furnace had collapsed on to them.

Such accidents are not rare. Many brick kiln workers are injured due to a lack adequate safety measures at their workplaces. Some die. Beyond the unsafe working conditions, brick kiln workers are frequently denied basic rights such as minimum wage, social security and dignified treatment.

Najma Bibi, a 53-year-old worker at a kiln a few kilometers from the Faisalabad Bypass, says that her family of five has been making bricks for decades. “We begin work at 1 am. The children too join us. We are always worried about snakes and insects in the dark, but we have no choice,” she says.

Bibi and her family bake 1,000 to 1,200 bricks in a 12-hour shift. They are paid two rupees per brick which, she says, is barely enough to survive. “We have to borrow often from the kiln owner to make ends meet. The debt keeps on mounting,” she says.

Most kiln workers operate on a daily wage basis without paid leave or medical cover. Few are registered for social security. Najma describes the demeaning attitude of kiln owners: “When workers go to collect their weekly wages, the owner sits on a charpoy. We are made to sit on the floor. It is their way of reminding us of their power; a way of keeping us silent.”

A survey by the Sustainable Development Institute highlighted that a majority of brick kiln workers remains trapped in a cycle of debt bondage. Only 16 percent of those surveyed had written contracts. The workers often work 11 to 13 hours with little to no access to safe drinking water or sanitation.

The survey also revealed that 16 percent of workers had experienced harassment or physical abuse, particularly involving children. Female workers reported a lack of toilets at job sites as a constant source of distress and indignity.

Baba Latif Ansari, chairman of the Labour Qaumi Movement, says brick kiln workers are treated like slaves. “Most brick kilns are no-go areas for trade unions and human rights organisations,” he says. “Workers are not only denied their constitutional right to unionise, but are also forced to work for illegally low wages.”

He alleges that the Labour Department, Social Security offices and District Vigilance Committees, headed by the deputy commissioner, do little more than produce bogus reports instead of taking meaningful action to improve the lives of kiln workers.

Despite being a centuries-old industry, brick making continues to be part of the informal economy. The Labour Department has issued no specific safety guidelines or formal regulations to protect the lives of workers in this sector. Inspections, when conducted, typically ignore safety compliance, focusing only on child labour and basic health issues.

A survey conducted by the Sustainable Development Institute revealed that 72 percent of brick kiln workers reported no monitoring by any government agency or NGO of their working conditions. Additionally, 87 percent demanded improved work environments and 61 per cent emphasised the need for access to healthcare.

Another joint study by the Ministry of Climate Change, the Punjab government and the Brick Kilns Owners’ Association confirmed that, despite high occupational hazards, a majority of workers at kilns lacked protective gear. Those tasked with feeding coal to the furnace were found to be most vulnerable, facing burns, cuts, respiratory issues and other injuries due to exposure to extreme heat, smoke and dust.

The report emphasised the need for basic protective gear, including face masks, gloves, safety boots, goggles and helmets for workers handling furnace operations. Without such gear, they face elevated risks of respiratory illnesses from coal dust and toxic fumes emitted by low-grade fuels.

According to a 2020 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, forced labour is most prevalent in Pakistan’s brick kilns, agriculture and domestic work sectors. The report highlighted the urgent need for regulation and enforcement to end this exploitative system.

According to a joint survey conducted by the Federal Ministry of Climate Change, the Punjab government and the Brick Kilns Owners Association, there are more than 20,000 brick kilns operating across Pakistan. 52 percent of those are located in the Punjab. The total workforce employed in these kilns is estimated to be close to one million.

The Global Slavery Index 2023 by Walk Free, an international organisation tracking modern slavery, ranked Pakistan 18th globally and fourth in Asia for the highest prevalence of modern slavery. The report said that more than 2.3 million individuals in Pakistan were living under conditions of modern-day slavery. Many of them are brick kiln workers.

Mian Farman Ali, a representative of the Brick Kilns Owners’ Association in Faisalabad, admits that provision of safety equipment and taking protective measures for kiln workers is largely up to the kiln owners.“Our association strongly urges all members to ensure timely compensation to injured workers and improve workplace conditions,” he says.

Ali says that the association has repeatedly requested the government to grant brick kilns the legal status of an industry so that both owners and workers can receive formal legal protections.“Due to the absence of clear legislation, government officials exploit kiln owners by extorting bribes. This, in turn, creates space for the continued exploitation of workers,” he notes.

In February 2020, the Lahore High Court directed the Labour and Human Resource Department to complete the registration of all brick kilns under the Factories Act, 1934, within six months. The purpose was to ensure thorough regulation. However, the directive remains unimplemented.

Most brick kilns are built based on traditional designs by untrained masons, rather than qualified engineers. This leads to structural flaws such as cracks and heat leaks, sometimes resulting in deadly accidents.

To address these issues, the report recommended legislation to set standards for kiln design, construction quality and heat containment methods. Additionally, it urged the provincial government to provide technical training through Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority to increase the availability of skilled labour.

These reforms are critical as the number of brick kilns in Pakistan has doubled over the past three decades.

Despite being a member of the International Labour Organisation since 1947 and having ratified 36 conventions, Pakistan continues to face significant challenges in ensuring occupational safety and health for its workforce. The country has yet to ratify some key ILO conventions such as the Promotional Framework for OSH (Convention No. 187) and the Safety and Health in Mines Convention (Convention No. 176).

Lack of aggregated data, poor enforcement of laws and limited awareness among businesses contribute to unsafe working conditions across many sectors. According to ILO estimates, approximately 1,136 occupational injuries occur per 100,000 workers in Pakistan.

To address these issues, Pakistan must adopt core ILO conventions, implement a comprehensive national OSH policy and strengthen inspection mechanisms.

Workplace safety should be treated not only as a legal and moral obligation, but also as an economic priority, since unsafe environments lower productivity, strain healthcare systems and claim valuable lives.

The writer has been associated with journalism for the past decade. He tweets 

@naeemahmad876