Pakistan brick kiln workers face extreme heat risks

Brick kiln workers in Pakistan's Sheikhupura district are facing extreme heat from furnaces below and hotter summer conditions above, as labour advocates and health experts warn that rising temperatures are making the work more dangerous.

Traditional kilns burn at more than 1,000C and must be monitored constantly. Workers crush coal into chambers, stand for hours on heated kiln surfaces and mould unbaked bricks by hand in dust and sun.

Abid Hussain, a 35-year-old labourer, told AFP that financial pressure leaves him little choice but to continue. He said he earns about 25,000 Pakistani rupees, or $90, a month, barely enough for rent and basic needs for his children.

Syeda Ghulam Fatima, General Secretary of the Bonded Labour Liberation Front Pakistan, said many workers are caught in debt after receiving advance payments, making it difficult to refuse dangerous conditions. She said rising global temperatures are adding to the risks.

Sheikhupura is a major centre of Pakistan's brick kiln industry. A 2018 Climate and Clean Air Coalition report said Pakistan had more than 18,000 kilns employing more than a million people.

Health experts warn that prolonged heat exposure, especially at traditional kilns, can make brick workers more vulnerable to skin disorders, respiratory problems and kidney disease.

Punjab's provincial government is pushing the industry to shift to zigzag kilns, a more modern technology described as reducing air pollution and respiratory hazards. But Mujeeb Ullah, a kiln supervisor, said extended rest breaks were not feasible because kiln temperatures must remain stable, while workers were given drinking water and occasional short breaks.