Kip Powick Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 BEIJING, China (AP) -- The death toll in a mine blast in central China has climbed to 28, state media reported Monday. Two others were still missing from the explosion Saturday afternoon at the Pudeng coal mine in Shanxi province, CCTV news said. "Rescue work is quite difficult since the shaft is still filled with smoke," Zhao Tiechui, director of the State Administration for Coal Mine Safety Supervision, was quoted as saying by Xinhua News Agency. China's mines are the deadliest in the world, with an average of 13 miners dying every day in accidents. With coal prices high to feed the booming economy's energy demand, mine operators often ignore safety regulations to boost production. Xinhua said the Pudeng mine, outside of Linfen city, had been ordered to suspend production for unspecified reasons, but that the mine's operators resumed operations without a permit. It said local police have placed the mine's owner and an unspecified number of its managers under surveillance. About 125 miners, hired by five different contractors, were working underground at the time of the blast. It was the second blast in a week in Shanxi, China's largest coal-producing province. Last Monday, a blast in an illegal mine in Yuxian county killed 14 people. Two owners of the mine fled after the accident, Xinhua said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deicer Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 China's mines are the deadliest in the world, with an average of 13 miners dying every day in accidents. With coal prices high to feed the booming economy's energy demand, mine operators often ignore safety regulations to boost production. All so that people can go to Walmart and pay less. Iceman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rattler Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 All so that people can go to Walmart and pay less. Iceman Not sure why the picking on Walmart, just check out Canadian Tire, The Bay, Zellers etc. Seems that all of the name brands are now produced in China. I wonder how many jobs that has cost our manufacturing sector and if the average (that us) consumer gives a damn? Re Walmart, they seem to stock more "Made in Canada" items than most of the majors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steam Driven Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 "All so that people can go to Walmart and pay less." How much extra are you willing to pay to subsidize Canadian Industry? How many items do you put back because it is not "Made in Canada". We are living in one of the most heavily taxed jurisdictions in the World. To make our dollars go farther the Consumer chooses price as the major criteria in a purchase. Just look at where Airfares have gone... People expect low prices. They want to get more for less. Would you pay $1.50 a litre for "Made in Canada" gas at Petro Canada? No, of course not. The same goes for every other product sold in Canada and around the world... There was quite the discussion regarding Protecionism quite a while back here... Army of One Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.O. Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 People expect low prices. They want to get more for less. Would you pay $1.50 a litre for "Made in Canada" gas at Petro Canada? No, of course not. The same goes for every other product sold in Canada and around the world... If Petro Canada's refining operations were killing people on a regular basis, our health and safety laws would hold them to account because we have an established standard for worker health and safety. It wasn't always that way though. The Westray disaster is proof of that, and most of the CLC worker protections were a direct result of that accident. So, the next question is, do we boycott Chinese products in the hope that they'll understand we find their mining safety record unacceptable; or do we continue to trade with them in the hopes of improving their standard of living which should eventually lead to greater respect for worker health and safety? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steam Driven Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 Therein lies the "Rub"... Do we "meddle" in another Country's Political and Cultural structure, or do we let it "slide" in the name of "Cultural Differences"? The Nabob's in Ottawa seem to preach the multicultural angle... There is one Country that decided to take action on another Country's Politics and tried to change it's Dictatorial Culture and has a mess that can not easily be cleaned up... We have been trying to pressure China with respect to imprisoning a Canadian without charge and have met with almost hostile resistance. Told in no uncertain terms to "Butt Out" of China's internal matters... China does not let "Human Rights" get in the way of business... Is that a "Cultural Difference"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plankspanker Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 or do we continue to trade with them in the hopes of improving their standard of living which should eventually lead to greater respect for worker health and safety? That is, unfortunately for those who will lose their lives in the process, probably the only realistic option for change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rattler Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 Therein lies the "Rub"... Do we "meddle" in another Country's Political and Cultural structure, or do we let it "slide" in the name of "Cultural Differences"? The Nabob's in Ottawa seem to preach the multicultural angle... There is one Country that decided to take action on another Country's Politics and tried to change it's Dictatorial Culture and has a mess that can not easily be cleaned up... We have been trying to pressure China with respect to imprisoning a Canadian without charge and have met with almost hostile resistance. Told in no uncertain terms to "Butt Out" of China's internal matters... China does not let "Human Rights" get in the way of business... Is that a "Cultural Difference"? The Conservatives were taken to task by the Liberals when they commented on China's Human Rights Policies http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...s_name=&no_ads= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fido Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 Don't get too excited about these BIG numbers. China is a country of BIG numbers. 13 people a day is nothing when compared to the population of China. There was a typhoon that went through a province in China just north of where I was and 2500 people were killed. No one blinked an eye. The equivalent Canadian number for 13 people a day in China would be about .18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.O. Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 The equivalent Canadian number for 13 people a day in China would be about .18 Maybe so, but .18 a day would be 1 a week, and in Canada, we would not accept that level of loss of workers in our mining industry. We've set a very high standard for ourselves, and I think it's a good thing. If China wants to tell us to butt out, maybe its time for us to vote with our wallets and send them a message that their products are not welcome here unless and until they clean up their act. Sadly, our protest would carry very little weight unless the rest of the Western world joined in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.