18/12/2025
The Protection of the Lives and Safety of Mine Workers is the Primary Responsibility of the State.
Writer: Shoukat Ali Yousafzai
Although the mining sector in Pakistan generates billions of rupees in revenue, the real strength of this sector i-e Mine Workers are still the most unsafe and neglected segment. It is not secret that accidents that occur during mining are not just statistics, but behind them are the tears of widows, the future of orphans and broken families.
Unfortunately, most accidents are not natural but the result of human negligence and poor management. The mining sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been a silent pillar of the economy for years, but the Mine Workers who support this pillar are still suffering from insecurity, accidents and lack of basic facilities. In such a situation, the meeting of the Pakistan Mine Workers Federation (PMWF) held at the FATA Secretariat in Peshawar is not just a formal meeting but can prove to be an important turning point related to the future of miners. The meeting was chaired by Secretary Minerals Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mr. Aamir Latif, in which delegate of about 36 Government officials, Mine owners, representatives of Mine Owners Association, Pakistan Mine Workers Federation and its affiliated unions, participated. The main focus of the meeting was to create awareness among Mine Workers, implementation of Mine Safety Laws, reduction of accidents and practical measures for the health, safety and welfare of workers. Serious proposals were presented in the meeting on the re-constitution of the Mining Board and the Mines Labor Welfare Board, as institutional weakness is often the biggest obstacle to the rights of workers. The support and endorsement of the package of facilities announced for Mine Workers on the special instructions of Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mr. Sohail Afridi is proof that the Government is recognizing the importance of this sector.
Pakistan Mine Workers Federation General Secretary Mr. Sar Zameen Afghani and President Mr. Noor Ullah Khan Yousafzai, while Labour Union Coal Mines Charat representatives Mr. Khair Ullah Khan and Mr. Muhammad Ihsan Khan told the meeting that in the year 2025, at least four major training and awareness programs were organized in the Coal, Marble and Emerald mining sectors in collaboration with the IndustriAll Global Union, in which 200 to 300 Mine Workers participated in each workshop. The aim of these training activities was to make the workers aware of their rights, duties and safe working practices.
Practical results of these efforts have also emerged. In the year 2024, about Rs. 26 crore was paid in various forms, including 6000 educational scholarships, 74 death grants (Rs. 12 lakh per case), 29 permanent disability grants (Rs. 6 lakh per person) and 114 marriage grants. These figures prove that if the intention and supervision are right, a real change can be brought in the lives of the workers. The measures announced by the Labour Welfare Board on December 14, 2025, have further strengthened this hope. Significant increase in scholarships, substantial improvement in the amounts of pulmonary, disability and death grants, and now the announcement of dowry/marriage grant for the daughter of every worker, are all measures that strengthen the social security of mining families, however, the proposals presented by the PMWF in the meeting require further attention. Demands like increasing the dowry/marriage grant from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 6 lakh, removing the age limit of 60 years for facilities, and providing unconditional facilities to all mine workers except administrative staff actually reflect the ground realities.
Similarly, excluding some categories from the definition of a mine worker is an injustice that should be ended immediately. The Federation’s demand for an increase in excise duty on minerals, a levy of Rs 30 per ton on coal, clean water, housing, washroom facilities and a ration card scheme can also form the basis of a comprehensive welfare policy.
The majority in the meeting agreed with these proposals, which is a sign that collective thinking is now taking shape. In the end, it would be fair to say that the lives of Mine Workers are not just the responsibility of a worker but of a family, a Society and the State. If the Government, Employers, and Labor organizations move forward with this spirit, the mining sector of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can become an example of not only safe but also dignified employment. It is our prayer that this collective struggle will prove fruitful and that Mine Workers will receive the protection and privileges they deserve.
