Focus

Last ray of hope for coal miners

By Qin Zhongwei (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-07-08 09:11

A miner waits at home longing for medical help to slow his worsening pneumoconiosis. [Photos by Zou Hong / China Daily]

Life has been hell for Wei Jinwen recently. His breathing has deteriorated and he can no longer find work. In fact, in his 10 sq m rented flat in Liangxiang, Fangshan district, all he can do is sit and wait. Wei, 53, from Guangyuan in Sichuan province, was a coal miner for seven years. He lost his job when the Fangshan district government announced the closure of the last of its mines at the end of June.

But the loss of his job pales in comparison to the loss of hope he feels now, stricken by an untreatable lung disease, pneumoconiosis. He is just one of 120 miners made redundant and verified by Chaoyang hospital - one of the few certified institutes capable of checking for pneumoconiosis - to have the disease.

Wei said not only was he never trained how to minimize his likelihood of catching the disease, but also that there were few protective measures.

However, Wei's biggest problem is that he has no legal right to seek medical help to slow his worsening situation, or allow him to get to a stage where he can work again and pay for his treatment.

He claims that while he did have a contract of employment, his employer kept it after he left. Without it, he has no medical insurance, and without the written work certificate, he also has no power to ask a hospital to prove he has the disease, aside from incurring massive personal bills. Finally, without proof - called an occupational disease assessment report - there is no chance of compensation.

"The contracts are usually kept by the bosses right after we sign them. They have probably already burnt them all to avoid possible lawsuits," said Gao Mingyuan, a former coal miner from Liaoning province, noting that his previous employer refuses to meet him or any of his workmates.

Most coal mine owners believe they are not responsible for compensation, since the closure of the coal mines was not their decision.

"I have resigned since the closure on May 31," Yu Kebiao, cooperate representative of Dacun Coal mine in Shijiaying, Fangshan district, told METRO Wednesday.

"The government should be held accountable," he said.

Gao Mingyuan says his previous employer refuses to meet him or any of his workmates. [China Daily]

Gao said most coal miners are actually unaware they need to find and keep work records for these types of situations.

Following the closure, Wei said there was a mass exodus of coal miners from Beijing, leaving behind an estimated 100 who are living in villages near the coal mines in Shijiaying town, Fangshan district.

They seek medical assistance but they know it is expensive. Possibilities include washing out their lungs, costing about 10,000 yuan for one procedure, which can only ease the situation but will never cure it. The local government is their last hope.

The large group of coal miners has made a trip to the district government every Wednesday morning since early June to ask for help, but without much success.

"I am so tired but I have no choice but to continue. There is no way back now," Wei said.

He said the authorities refuse to meet them and police stand guard with an intimidating presence.

Their group's petition to the municipal government went unanswered and officials from the petition office at the district government repeats the same four words every time: "Go home and wait."

But a ray of hope emerged last weekend when a METRO reporter was told by an anonymous lawyer that Fangshan district government would give an official response by July 12. Wei and some of his workmates confirmed the information.

Pneumoconiosis, commonly known as "black lung disease", was the most lethal occupational disease of 2009, according to Ministry of Health in April this year. Last year there were 14,495 new cases, in which 91.89 percent affected coal miners. Of the total, 748 died.

However, the current laws and procedures for work-related compensation are out of step with the realities affected workers face.

The government is finally recognizing the seriousness of the disease, but the law remains too abstract for sufficient supervision. At the same time, employers are ignoring their legal obligations, according to Shi Fumao, a lawyer providing legal aid to migrant workers.

Last September, a 28-year-old Henan coal miner called Zhang Haichao asked surgeons to open his chest and prove he had the lung disease, since an autopsy was considered the only acceptable way to receive compensation. He finally got 615,000 yuan from his work unit, due to massive media exposure.

The wife of a miner holds a bottle of water that was used to wash the lungs of her husband. [China Daily]

Black lung disease

A jobless miner lies on his back at home in Shijiaying town, Fangshan district. [China Daily]

Also called black lung disease, pneumoconiosis is a chronic disease resulting from long-term exposure to coal dust and other hazardous materials. It is especially common among coal miners and people working in occupations that bring them into frequent contact with coal.

The coal dust inhaled by miners tends to build up in the lung and cannot be removed from the body. The lingering effect leads to inflammation and other complications.

With a workforce of about 700 million, China has a large population engaged in construction, mining, and other occupations that potentially expose them to pneumoconiosis. It is the most serious and widespread occupational disease in China.

Given the overwhelming number of small-and medium-sized coal mines across the country, pneumoconiosis has a very high incidence rate because of poor working facilities and unsafe production. There were some 14,495 reported cases last year but the number of undetected sufferers is believed to be much higher.

As early as 2002, China published an occupational diseases prevention law to protect workers employed in dangerous industries. However, the regulation has largely failed to benefit grass roots miners, especially those working in remote and privately owned mines.

Ministry of Health