Seven migrant workers died after ammonia gas leaked at seafood processing facility in Tiruvallur district. Urgent calls now for better safety and living conditions. Victims, mainly young women from Odisha and Assam, were resting in dormitory when it happened .
Labour rights advocates sounding alarms over poor safety protocols and living conditions . R. Geetha from Unorganised Workers Federation stressed employers must provide safe accommodations, as Factories Act of 1948 requires. Act mandates shelters be clean,ventilated,separate from workspaces. But Geetha noted these standards often ignored,leading to overcrowded,unsafe conditions.
A.R. Shanthi of AITUC and Working Women’s Forum pointed out seafood processing not classified as hazardous under Factories Act,but ammonia refrigeration operations must follow strict safety regulations. She questioned if factories implement safety measures like evacuation plans,fire protocols, especially given ammonia risks in cold storage.
Incident highlights broader negligence in worker safety. Fr. Simolin from Don Bosco Migrant Services criticized companies for not prioritizing employee safety. Cited previous incidents,like recent migrant worker death and 2025 Ennore Thermal Plant disaster,showing troubling trend of inadequate safeguards.
In ammonia leak aftermath,Penn Thozhilalar Sangam formally requested high-powered judicial inquiry . Memorandum to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and labor authorities described event as more than industrial accident. Called for accountability,criminal charges for negligence,labor law violations .
Memorandum also demanded independent investigation,site access for civil society groups,transparency with affected workers. Raised concerns over survivors' treatment, possible relocation without consent,need for humanitarian aid.
Activists pushing for answers on migrant recruitment practices,wages,social security. Demand clarity on factory safety inspections,government emergency response protocols. Argue tragedy reveals systemic labor exploitation,call for comprehensive inspections of seafood processing units statewide .
As investigation continues,focus on preventing repeats of such incidents. Advocates urge government to strengthen oversight,establish multilingual hotline for reporting unsafe conditions. Aiming to create safer environment for all workers in industry…
