Families of the victims of the 2012 Ali Enterprises (Baldia) factory fire will get monthly pensions as a long-term compensation from the amount provided by the German buyer KIK Textilein, starting next month.

This was announced at a joint press conference held on Monday at Karachi Press Club by Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) Executive Director, National Trade Unions Federation’s (NTUF) Nasir Mansoor and Saeeda Khatoon, the chairperson of the Ali Enterprises Factory Fire Affectees Association.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has finalised the pension distribution formula and hence the process will start from February, they said. More than 250 workers had died on September 11, 2012 when a huge fire broke out in a garments manufacturing factory in SITE industrial area...

“This is the first instance in the world that a compensation system has been established for the families of victims of industrial accidents,” said Ali. NTUF’s Nasir Mansoor said that some international organisations like Clean Clothes Campaign and IndustriAll also supported this campaign for compensating victims’ families. He also appreciated the support from ILO and other international organisations and the German company KIK, which has provided the money.