Paralegal Camp: Empowering Workers Through Legal Awareness and Rights Education

In the shipbreaking industry, many workers are unaware of their legal rights and fair wage entitlements. Frequently, workers face illegal layoffs, low wages, and unprofessional treatment in the yards. Workers often perform their tasks without understanding the terms of their labor, such as working hours, entitlements to fair wages, and …Read More

Health Campaign: Ensuring Medical Support for Workers in High-Risk Shipbreaking Activities

In the shipbreaking industry, certain tasks—such as asbestos removal and ship dismantling—are among the most hazardous. Asbestos is a fibrous material that, when inhaled, can become permanently lodged in the lungs. Prolonged exposure can lead to life-threatening diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. In addition to these serious …Read More

Ship breakers seek govt steps to extend time by five years.

They also called on the government to re-categorize the industry to orange from existing red, saying that they need an additional 2-3 months to get cutting permission from the environment ministry only for this categorization. The industry stakeholders raised the demands at a roundtable titled ‘Challenges and Possibilities of Ship …Read More

Awareness Campaigns: Promoting Occupational Health, Safety, and Empowerment in the Shipbreaking Industry

Raising awareness among shipbreaking workers is a vital part of YPSA’s Green Ship Recycling Project. Located along the coastal belt of Sitakunda in Chattogram, the shipbreaking industry employs thousands of workers in one of the world’s most labor-intensive and hazardous sectors. The nature of the work—such as dismantling heavy steel …Read More

Cultural Events: Promoting Mental Wellbeing Through Music, Performance, and Professional Support

Shipbreaking workers endure long hours of physically demanding and hazardous work, often from early morning until evening. Recognizing the crucial link between mental wellbeing and overall worker engagement, YPSA believes that fostering emotional health through recreational and cultural activities is essential for improving workers’ confidence, morale, and productivity. In addition …Read More

Friendly Meeting with Workers: Promoting Rights, Welfare, and Dialogue in Bangladesh’s Shipbreaking Industry

The coastal belt of Sitakunda in Chattogram, Bangladesh, is home to the world’s second-largest shipbreaking industry, spanning approximately 18 kilometers. This sector provides direct and indirect employment to nearly one million people, making it a vital source of livelihood for the region. However, the industry is also fraught with numerous …Read More

Our goal is ‘zero deaths’

Once seen as an adversary by yard owners, YPSA now collaborates with workers and owners to transform the shipbreaking yards of Chattogram into safer and greener spaces. Muhammed Ali Shahin, assistant director of YPSA and focal person for its Shipbreaking Campaign, reflects on the organisation’s journey, the challenges it had …Read More

YPSA organized a cycling rally to raise awareness and safeguard the safety of the shipbreaking yard in Sitakund.

YPSA organized a cycle rally from Faujdarhat ship recycling yard area to Akilpur ship recycling yard with the participation of volunteers on Friday June 14. Volunteers cycle through the entire shipbreaking area. Volunteers distributed 10 different types of sub-standard yard safety posters and festoons and spoke to yard caretakers, managers …Read More