The accident occurred during the expansion of a four-storey building housing a textile factory. Three of the victims worked for the construction company and three others were employed by the textile factory.
According to the National Syndicate of Textile and Leather Workers (SNTTC-UMT), the construction did not comply with the legal measures in force. The syndicate insists that the construction company should be held responsible for the accident due to a lack of supervision, as should the officials responsible for granting the building permit.
For its part, the National Syndicate of Textile and Leather Workers (SNTHC-CDT) said that the factory did not meet the minimum health and safety requirements. Employees were forced to work despite the presence of a construction structure above the factory. The syndicate holds the authorities responsible for this situation, because they allowed the factory owner to add extra floors to a building already occupied by a factory, without taking the necessary protective measures.
The SNTHC-CDT condemns the lack of control over the factory, which does not comply with health and safety standards. It has called for a national debate involving all stakeholders on health and safety at work.
Al-Arabi Hamouk, General Secretary of the SNTTC-UMT, said: “Unfortunately, this tragic accident is not the first of its kind. We have been expecting a reaction from the authorities since the incident involving the drowned workers in Tangiers, but things have remained unchanged. Frequent accidents require strict control”.
Ahmed Hassoun, General Secretary of the SNTHC-CDT, stressed the need to structure the sector and protect workers against risks, calling on the government to implement international standards on health and safety at work.
Atle Høie, General Secretary of IndustriALL, said: “This is an unacceptable tragedy that could have been avoided. The clothing industry must guarantee the safety of the people who contribute to its massive production. If the government, factory owners and brands really want to put an end to these accidents, we need a programme of agreement for Morocco”.
#Morocco #Workplaceaccidents #Deaths #Workplacehealthandsafety
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