The Ship Breakers Of Bangladesh

Ship Breaking Industry Arrived In Bangladesh By Accident, Literally

(CBS)  They are the shores of the most densely populated nation and one of the poorest nations in the world. Bangladesh desperately needs steel for construction but has no iron ore mines. The shipbreaking yards are its mines, providing 80 percent of the nation's steel.

But steel is only part of the deal; there are so many things on a ship which are sold off. It is in fact a gigantic recycling operation.

You can find everything, including kitchen sinks, at a sprawling roadside market which goes on for miles. When you’re driving down this road, it's not a problem if you need a toilet or a life boat or a light bulb. It is estimated that 97 percent of the ship’s contents are recycled. The other three percent, the stuff nobody would buy, including the hazardous waste, asbestos, arsenic and mercury, are left behind to foul the beaches.

"And what we're looking at, which is a recycling operation, is also an environmental disaster," Simon says.

"That's true. And I think this is really capitalism as red in tooth and claw as it gets. At the moment this is what makes financial sense for everybody. And this is, despite the fact that we might not like it, and it doesn't look pretty, this is how it's done," Buerk says.

The workers toil in tough conditions. They have no unions, no safety equipment, and no training. About 50 are said to die in accidents each year; often in explosions set off by blowtorches deep inside the fume-filled holds.

You see casualties in the yards, men who were injured here but have no money to go anywhere else. The workers are housed in barracks with no beds, just steel plates scavenged from the ships they break.

Many of the workers are not old enough to grow a beard. Some are, quite simply, children. 60 Minutes spoke to several who said they were 14 and had been working here for two years.

So what does the man from Peace Happiness and Prosperity say about that?

Asked if there are any children working in his yard, Mohsin says, "Not my yard."

"Well, we talked to several children," Simon tells Mohsin. "We found a couple who were 14 and said they'd been working there for a couple of years."

"They are - if they are working - if they don't work, what they'll do, then? Our government cannot afford it. Their food, shelter and clothing has to be provided by someone whether their parents or the government. None of them can afford it. So what they gonna do?" Mohsin argues.

"So, you say that child labor is inevitable, necessary in Bangladesh?" Simon asks.

"If they don't work in ship-breaking yard, they'll work somewhere else. They have to," Mohsin replies.

But child labor is only one of the issues. Environmentalists have been doing battle with the industry for years. They say the west has no business dumping its toxic waste on impoverished lands in the east. They condemn the appalling work conditions, the low pay, and the lack of accountability for workers who are killed or injured. Their most important proposal: that ships be cleaned of their toxic materials in the west, before they sail to Bangladesh.

That’s in line with an international ban which prohibits the shipment of hazardous waste from rich countries to poorer countries.

Rezwana Hasan of the Bangladeshi Environmental Lawyers Association is in the forefront of the battle against the industry. She says the shipbreaking yards in Bangladesh don’t respect even the most minimal environmental standards.

"And an industry that can't comply with these minimum standards must not operate," she argues. "I mean if you can't comply with the - if you can't pay your worker the minimum wage, you can't operate. You can't - if you can't ensure the minimum environmental safeguard you shouldn't operate."

[hollwood1]

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[wringxgs]

Please explain the economics of buying a 4000 ton ship for $14,000,000 when scrap steel sells for $250 a ton. Are you sure the price wasn''t 14,000,000 Thaka which would have been $385,000?

[micamm]

Your report is factually correct. I was there last year, in the mud, and talking to the workers (through a translator). You can see my photos on my website GlobalGayz.com:
http://www.globalgayz.com/BDChittagongShipBreakingYard/index.html
But your slant is obviously in the direction of ''look at these poor downtrodden slaves''. These are not ''miserable'' people. Look closely at their faces and you don''t see the tension and anxiety of American corporate workers! They are workers who know nothing else and don''t particularly want anything else. They work 7AM to 11PM with a two hour mid-day break, get paid a low but reliable income; their kids go to school (I saw no child workers in the yard; upper teens yes, children no)--and many somewhat cheerful faces--not necessarily happy, but not miserable. They work with their friends; all feel equal. They have little and little to worry about.
The conditions are daunting but not wholly, the pace is calm and there are numerous periods of waiting during the day as the ship parts are taken apart.
It is not the horror show you portray. It''s dirty and rough but far from hell.

[rafterman1]

===How fascinating it is to read the words of the idealist liberal bleeding hearts.===

Yes, caring for the welfare of others. How sad.

[fairandbal]

CBS is doing a great favor to American Capitolists with this piece. CBS is saying, look, be satisfied with your stagnant wages, no health care, ever increasing work hours away from family your jobs being oursourced. Be satisfied with CEO''s making 400% more than you while you work longer and longer.
You could be stripping ships.

[gingerlime]

"As close as you%u2019ll get to hell on earth" you say? Don''t forget Katrina. Many have, and none should.

[dougfromeagan]

CBS trying to harpoon Capitalism? The same network to bring you "Harvest of Shame"?
Yet again you provide only the side of the story that attacks the greatest philosophy the world will ever know - Capitalism! Shame on you CBS, to propagate the Marxist view point to your American Capitalist audience! We too had child labor. We too had poor working conditions. We too had a low starting point. But it was the Capitalists, the entrepreneurs that saw the potential for the creation of wealth and risked everything to make a better world for themselves and as a byproduct, raise the standard of living for all of us!

It was President Kennedy that said, "...a rising tide lifts all boats". He was right then and now.

[dougfromeagan]

CBS trying to harpoon Capitalism? The same network to bring you "Harvest of Shame"?
Yet again you provide only the side of the story that attacks the greatest philosophy the world will ever know - Capitalism! Shame on you CBS, to propagate the Marxist view point to your American Capitalist audience! We too had child labor. We too had poor working conditions. We too had a low starting point. But it was the Capitalists, the entrepreneurs that saw the potential for the creation of wealth and risked everything to make a better world for themselves and as a byproduct, raise the standard of living for all of us!

It was President Kennedy that said, "...a rising tide lifts all boats". He was right then and now.

Doug From Eagan
Ayn Rand Objectivist/Capitalist/American

[abeckmann1]

I have to agree with the comment made by the individual who grew up in Chittagong. This work, however horrifying it is to Americans provides so many thousands of citizens with legitimate work. Although I strongly feel we should increase awareness of environmental and safety codes to ensure the health of these workers, we can not ban the practice altogether. As I stated in my last comment, the economy and families depend upon this work. I believe we must work to find a balance between ensuring the livelihood of these workers and banning unsafe working conditions. Some of the conditions can easily be alleviated by enforcement of close-toed shoes, face masks, gloves, hard hats, proper training to ensure chemicals are treated properly and appropriate instruments to break down the ships. While Americans may have a warped since of poverty, very little American money would go such a long way in assistance for the above mentioned safety regulations. Instead of telling these people to stop what they are doing, we can help them to carry out their jobs in a safer environment.

ABeckmann

[mkpdluv]

I grew up in Chittagong and used to take a rickshaw down the very road where the ship yards are several times a week. To be sure, it is a hard, backbreaking task. But I sometimes wonder when we Westerners get on our high horse about $1 a day, and children working, how dare we judge! We know NOTHING about that life and what it takes to survive. The owner or the ship breaking company spoke correctly when he said, if the kids don't work here they will work somewhere else because they have no other means of living. My best friend started working when she was 14 because otherwise her siblings would have gone without food. Should she have said, no just because she was so young and allowed her family to suffer? She worked hard and I am proud of her for her strength and perserverence! And has anyone stopped to think how much $1 a day is worth in the Bengali economy? Sure, here in the States it is nothing. But there it is a fairly normal wage for a day laborer. My heart breaks for my friends who cannot break out of the poverty that so plagues this country, but I will not judge them for what they have to do to survive.

[mkpdluv]

I grew up in Chittagong and used to take a rickshaw down the very road where the ship yards are several times a week. To be sure, it is a hard, backbreaking task. But I sometimes wonder when we Westerners get on our high horse about $1 a day, and children working, how dare we judge! We know NOTHING about that life and what it takes to survive. The owner or the ship breaking company spoke correctly when he said, if the kids don't work here they will work somewhere else because they have no other means of living. My best friend started working when she was 14 because otherwise her siblings would have gone without food. Should she have said, no just because she was so young and allowed her family to suffer? She worked hard and I am proud of her for her strength and perserverence! And has anyone stopped to think how much $1 a day is worth in the Bengali economy? Sure, here in the States it is nothing. But there it is a fairly normal wage for a day laborer. My heart breaks for my friends who cannot break out of the poverty that so plagues this country, but I will not judge them for what they have to do to survive.

[mkpdluv]

I grew up in Chittagong and used to take a rickshaw down the very road where the ship yards are several times a week. To be sure, it is a hard, backbreaking task. But I sometimes wonder when we Westerners get on our high horse about $1 a day, and children working, how dare we judge! We know NOTHING about that life and what it takes to survive. The owner or the ship breaking company spoke correctly when he said, if the kids don't work here they will work somewhere else because they have no other means of living. My best friend started working when she was 14 because otherwise her siblings would have gone without food. Should she have said, no just because she was so young and allowed her family to suffer? She worked hard and I am proud of her for her strength and perserverence! And has anyone stopped to think how much $1 a day is worth in the Bengali economy? Sure, here in the States it is nothing. But there it is a fairly normal wage for a day laborer. My heart breaks for my friends who cannot break out of the poverty that so plagues this country, but I will not judge them for what they have to do to survive.

[abeckmann1]

I visited the shipbreaking yards of Chittagong this summer and was horrified at the conditions in which these people work. Sadly, I was taken there as though it were a tourist attraction. Unfortunately, these yards are listed as tourist attractions in very well known travel guides. I was even on a scholarship from the U.S. Department of State. Do not be fooled that people are not aware of these yards, they absolutely are. They exist in many other countries as well, Bangladesh being only one of many. The steel provided by these ships literally builds the country and banning the practice altogether would greatly jeopardize the economy. I only hope more awareness will be brought to these yards and that health and environmental regualtions will be enforced.

ABeckmann, Raleigh,NC

[cjscouter]

April, you said it. Think if we were able to raise the money to give these all these guys a day off. It would mean so much to them, and yet, would us wealthy americans skip that daily trip to starbucks to better their lives?

I wish I could travel there to experience their life first hand.

I'd love to talk to people further on this topic...message me on myspace, www.myspace.com/coreyjohn

[april1379]

I am going to travel to Dhaka, Bangladesh in three weeks for my first trip there. My husband is from Dhaka. We are both in our 20's. He came here as a student and we have been together almost 10 years now.

I have met many Bangladeshi people and I can tell you that these people work so hard and are so very generous! They are the poorest country in the world and I know that they will give me the shirt off there back when I go there. (Even if it is there only shirt, and they will happily give it to me.) It saddens me so much to know that there are millions of these wonderful people that are put in such danger just to survive.

Wouldn't it be great if we sent all that wasted money spent on campaign adds over to Bangladesh. Do you have any idea what they would do with that money. The joy that money would bring. What a waste!!!! It infuriates me to see how we waste money, food, everything in this country.

These are real people over there! Kind, giving people! Is there nothing we can do to help??

Try to think about what they go through. Educate other Americans. Do not judge immigrants who come here. They just want a better life! They want the American DREAM!

Thank you!

[craigru1]

"If you can't pay your worker the minimum wage, you can't operate. You can't. If you can't ensure the minimum environmental safeguard you shouldn't operate."

If this were the case in Bangladesh, no one would be working because no entity would stay in business. If you think ship breaking is a tragedy, you should learn how much teachers make there. In some cases, they don't get paid at all. Women working in the garment industry are also underpaid and work in terrible conditions.

But Bangladesh must find reasonable alternatives for employment before they shut these entities down for not meeting minimum wage requirements. You certainly can't shut down an education system all together. And the garment factories have empowered the thousands of women working there. I think by implying that these measures SHOULD be taken--by the way, there are a lot of things the Bangladeshi government SHOULD do--she really meant "should" but "can't," at least not at the current moment.

Craig

[random_radar]

The environmentalist credo is "The only good human is a dead human." I would rather work for a $1 a day than be exterminated to save the spotted owls. Apparently Bangladeshis feel the same way.

[djconklin]

one-opinion: "However, he and his company are making millions per ship."

You didn't produce any evidence for that claim.

You complain that the West is exploiting them when the West has nothing to do with these operations. You claim that Bangledash gains no advantage--tell that to the workers who otherwise wouldn't have a job.

[oleander8]

To: John Heiney
"cutting torch"/"blow torch"

I think everyone gets the idea of what 60 minutes was talking about...I still occasionally refer to my refrigerator as an ice-box -- no one yet has had to pull out a dictionary to figure out what I'm talking about.

And, as primitive as these operations are - maybe they are using blow-torches.

[mjv2944]

Keep voting the same bunch of losers and we'll be working for a $1 a day. I believe that is what big business really wants, and the current bunch of lackeys in our congress is helping them out all they can. VOTE THEM OUT TOMORROW!!!!!!!