Skip to main content

Devoid of social security, Delhi contract sewer workers get 25-35% less wages: DASAM

By Our Representative 

A civil rights group Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) survey of temporary sewer workers working under contract in many areas of Delhi has found that contractors pay wages to the sewer worker only for four months, even though their tender is for six months. Worse, the contractors deduct 25-35% from the wages before giving these to the workers.
A DASAM report following the survey, forwarded to Counterview as email alert, said, “The contractor neither gives weekly off nor gives any holiday on government holidays. If he does not go to work on holidays or on medical emergencies, then money is deducted from the monthly/daily wages.”
It added, “Diseases related to sewer cleaning are long-term and fatal, which comes under the category of occupational health disease. But due to non- availability of facility of insurance, Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) and Provident Fund (PF) to the sewer workers, they get deprived of it.”
According to the report, “The pressure of the contractors is so much that the sewer worker is not able to speak openly to neither the government nor any organization”, adding, “They do not get any kind of safety gears, soap, oil, etc. They neither have any kind of identity card nor work permit.”
Pointing out that “there is caste discrimination with them at work place”, the report quotes a Gujarat High Court had given an interim order dated February 15, 2006, which directed the civic bodies to discontinue the practice of engaging contractors, provide all safety equipment such as oxygen mask, helmet, goggles, gumboots, air blower, safety belt, torch, etc., insisting, the employers should be held “vicariously liable” to pay damages in case of occupational diseases.
“Unfortunately, even after 15 years of the passing of this order, the sewer workers have to plead with the Delhi government for its implementation”, DASAM said, adding, it has “taken up these matters to the 10 MLA of the Delhi Legislative Assembly and also given them some questions which they can raise in the House.”
According to the report, “It should be known that the Delhi government manages thousands of crores rupees out of fund allotted for the development of Dalits for contracts.” However, it regretted, despite efforts to get details of contracts awarded with this money under the Right to Information (RTI), “even after a lapse of four months, no satisfactory reply has been received.”
In Delhi sewer work was previously done by government, for which permanent employees were appointed
“The irony is that neither the lower-level employees of the Delhi Jal Board are answering the RTI nor the higher officials are presenting their arguments before the Delhi Safai Karamcharis Commission”, even though “DASAM and other social organizations want to cooperate government in implement of the government schemes.”
Previously, according to DASAM, “In Delhi, the sewer work was done by the government itself, for which permanent employees were appointed”, and despite the court order to continue this process, this has not been done.
In all DASAM said, it has held three meetings with the Delhi Jal Board and the Chairman of the Delhi Safai Karamcharis Commission relating to the hearing under the RTI Act. They resulted in the postponement of the tender in which there was a system for the rehabilitation of the family members of the deceased and injured sewer workers on priority.
Following the meetings, the government “accepted the pending demand related to the revised wages of the sweepers in the Delhi government at an accelerated pace on October 6, 2021 through Officer Order No 6.

Comments

TRENDING

Junk food push causing severe public health crisis of obesity, diabetes in India: Report

By Rajiv Shah  A new report , “The Junk Push: Rising Consumption of Ultra-processed foods in India- Policy, Politics and Reality”, public health experts, consumers groups, lawyers, youth and patient groups, has called upon the Government of India to check the soaring consumption of High Fat Sugar or Salt (HFSS) foods or ultra-processed foods (UPF), popularly called junk food.

Avoidable Narmada floods: Modi birthday fete caused long wait for release of dam waters

Counterview Desk  Top advocacy group, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), has accused the Sardar Sarovar dam operators for once again acting in an "unaccountable" manner, bringing "avoidable floods in downstream Gujarat."  In a detailed analysis, SANDRP has said that the water level at the Golden Bridge in Bharuch approached the highest flood level on September 17, 2023, but these "could have been significantly lower and much less disastrous" both for the upstream and downstream areas of the dam, if the authorities had taken action earlier based on available actionable information.

From 'Naatu-Naatu' to 'Nipah-Nipah': Dancing to the tune of western pipers?

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD*  Some critics have commented that the ecstatic response of most Indians to the Oscar for the racy Indian song, “Naatu-Naatu” from the film, “RRR” reeks of sheer racism, insulting visuals and a colonial hangover. It was perhaps these ingredients that impressed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, one critic says.

Astonishing? Violating its own policy, Barclays 'refinanced' Adani Group's $8 billion bonds

By Rajiv Shah  A new report released by two global NGOs, BankTrack and the Toxic Bonds Network, has claimed to have come up with “a disquieting truth”: that Barclays, a financial heavyweight with a “controversial” track record, is deeply entrenched in a “disturbing” alliance with “the Indian conglomerate and coal miner Adani Group.”

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

Asset managers hold '2.8 times more equity' in fossil fuel cos than in green investments

By Deepanwita Gita Niyogi*  The world’s largest asset managers are far off track to meet the  2050 net zero commitments , a new study  released by InfluenceMap , a London-based think tank working on climate change and sustainability, says. Released on August 1, the Asset Managers and Climate Change 2023 report by FinanceMap, a work stream of InfluenceMap, finds that the world’s largest asset managers have not improved on their climate performance in the past two years.

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

Victim of 'hazardous' jobs, Delhi sanitary workers get two thirds of minimum wages

By Sanjeev Kumar*  Recently, the Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) organized a Training of Trainers (ToT) Workshop for sewer workers and waste pickers from all across Delhi NCR. The workshop focused on bringing sanitation workers from different parts of Delhi to train them for organization building and to discuss their issues of minimum wage, contractual labour, regular jobs and social security.