Life in a Graveyard“Safe Alang, Green Alang.” The Gujarat city has, for sure, got the slogan right. Working with bare hands and feet and with no safety gear, workers like Kumar handled even hazardous materials like asbestos. Even basic laws around minimum wages and Factories Act did not apply,” says Mumbai-based Vidyadhar Rane, general secretary, Alang Sosiya Ship Recycling and General Workers’ Association (ASSRGWA), who began working with Alang workers in 2005. That and a slew of other factors promise to improve the way Alang operates.The global shipping industry is hurting. Globally, steel prices have turned volatile, thanks to Chinese exports.With steel prices plummeting, scrap from Alang yards (many bought vessels at high prices) have become unviable, forcing shutdowns.

Source: Economic Times October 22, 2016 18:33 UTC