In Pakistan's Sheikhupura district, brickmakers toil under extreme conditions, crushed between the sun above and fiery kilns below. As climate change intensifies summer heat, workers face almost unbearable conditions, with temperatures often exceeding 40°C. Abid Hussain, a 35-year-old labourer, describes the work as feeling trapped between fire and sun, highlighting the financial pressures forcing continued labor despite the dangers.
The brick kiln industry in Pakistan, which employs over a million people across more than 18,000 kilns, is marked by poor regulation, low pay, and increasing danger due to rising temperatures. Workers earn around $3 a day, a meager sum that barely covers basic needs. Many are trapped in a cycle of debt, unable to refuse work in dangerous conditions without falling deeper into financial hardship.
Syeda Ghulam Fatima, General Secretary of the Bonded Labour Liberation Front Pakistan, describes the kilns as places of confinement, where workers endure relentless heat from both the sun and the kilns. The Punjab provincial government has initiated a push to modernize the industry with zigzag kilns, which reduce air pollution and health hazards, offering a glimmer of hope for improved conditions.
Health experts warn that prolonged heat exposure at traditional kilns makes workers more vulnerable to skin disorders, respiratory problems, and kidney disease. Despite these risks, work must continue uninterrupted, according to Mujeeb Ullah, a kiln supervisor, who notes that extended rest breaks are not feasible. Workers receive minimal breaks and are provided with drinking water to cope with the conditions.
The situation is particularly dire as Pakistan, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, experiences increasingly harsh summers. The combination of financial necessity and extreme weather conditions leaves workers with little choice but to endure the hazardous environment, highlighting the urgent need for improved safety measures and support for this vulnerable workforce.
