Militant trade union center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) condemned the US-Marcos regime for its continued negligence of workers’ occupational safety in manufacturing sites following the death of two workers and injury of another in an explosion at Armscor Global Defense Inc on July 7. The factory, based in Barangay Fortune, Marikina, manufactures ammunitions. The three casualties were contractual employees.

Initial investigation of the incident indicate that the explosion started from the ignition of a chemical component called “primer,” possibly due to static friction. As earlier reported, one worker lost both hands, another sustained chest injuries, and a third was hit in the eye. Subsequently, two of the victims died in the hospital.

“Capitalists sacrificing workers’ lives for profit is a crime,” KMU stated. The group expressed support for the victims’ families’ call for justice.

According to the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD), this is not the first incident of this type in the same manufacturing plant. In February 2024, an explosion caused a fire that resulted in burns and injuries to many workers. “The recurrence of such incidents raises serious concerns about the company’s compliance with OSH standards and preventive measures,” IOHSAD said.

As a result, KMU and IOHSAD seriously called for the Department of Labor and Employment to investigate the factory to determine whether Armscor complies with OSH standards. “They must be held accountable if proven to have violated these standards,” KMU said.

IOHSAD emphasized that exposure to deadly risks must never be normalized, especially in hazadous industries like arms and ammunition manufacturing. “Companies in these sectors have an even greater responsibility to uphold the life, health, and safety of their workers,” the group said.

Since January this year, IOHSAD recorded at least 151 cases of worker deaths inside their factories or workplaces. “This is a grim reflection of ongoing systemic neglect of workers’ safety,” the group said.

Consequently, KMU and IOHSAD stated that this supports their basis to push for amendments and put more teeth into current OSH laws by criminalizing serious OSH violations, especially those resulting in worker deaths.