May 2024

Let's unite the rural sanitation & service workers on the occasion of May Day!

Let's fight together for our livelihood and minimum wages!! Struggle until we achieve our demands!!!

The fact that crores of rural sanitation workers in India are still not getting the minimum wage, even after 77 years of independence, shows the political will of the government towards them. Despite the 7th Pay Commission’s recommendations to the government to pay Rs. 22500/- per month as minimum wage for the government lowest grade workers. The rural sanitation workers' living conditions are extremely poor, there is no food, livelihood, and income security to get out of their day-to-day hunger. They are forced to work as bounded labour with a wage of Rs. 6000/- per month.

Presently, the rural sanitation workers' role is to keep the villages clean by cleaning the garbage & and waste on the streets, drainage drains, solid waste, septic tanks, water tanks, repairing pipelines, feces of animals, and removal of dead and decaying animals. According to panchayat leaders, they will have to report from 5 a.m. till 5 p.m. (12 hours of work), which is beyond the minimum 8 hours of work in a day. So they are unable to spend the required time on their daily household work and have no work-life balance.

Additionally, they are exposed to diseases associated with skin and respiratory. Also, they are prone to malaria and dengue. But inadequate supply of basic protection such as masks, gloves for hands, and shoes. Socially speaking, 99% of this work is predominantly carried out by SCs, and STs (Dalits and Adivasis). Society and caste structure in India pushed Dalits and Adivasi to these low profile unlearned jobs as their bound duty to perform. Although it is not directly written in any act, this has been the forced task traditionally which is replicated even today

Few of the sanitation workers have to work at the house of village elected president/Sarpanch freely. There is also harassment from Sarpanch and Secretary. Despite this, the sanitary workers continue to work for low wages and long hours. They don’t get monthly salaries of Rs. 6,000/- regularly. Any voice against injustice will end up with dismissal from the job. There will be no pension either. Medical facilities other than Arogyashri which apply to all those below the threshold have not been provided.

Hence, on the occasion of "World Hunger Day", the sanitation workers are calling for an immediate solution from the government to the following demands:

1. Sanitation workers should be given an identity card that is to be immediately made permanent.

2. As per the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission, the minimum wage should be Rs. 22,500/- per month and Rs. 850/- per day.

3. They should be included in the Mandal Parishad officer and the salaries should be deposited directly to the individuals’ bank account every month.

4. Salaries pending for months should be released immediately.

5. The attendance table should be maintained in panchayat and pay slips should be given at the end of the month.

6. Health cards with ESI facilities should be issued to all workers for medical purposes.

7. Everyone should be provided with protective equipment and uniform.

8. Free insurance facility of 10,00,000/- should be provided to every worker.

9. Sundays, festivals, and national holidays should be declared as holidays for workers.

10. Financial support should be given for children's education.

Let us submit our memorandums to the chief minister through the Mandal developments officers with the above-mentioned demands and continue to fight for our rights until it is actualized.

Let's unite the rural sanitation & service workers on the occasion of May Day!

Let's fight together for our livelihood and minimum wages!! Struggle until we achieve our demands!!!

The fact that crores of rural sanitation workers in India are still not getting the minimum wage, even after 77 years of independence, shows the political will of the government towards them. Despite the 7th Pay Commission’s recommendations to the government to pay Rs. 22500/- per month as minimum wage for the government lowest grade workers. The rural sanitation workers' living conditions are extremely poor, there is no food, livelihood, and income security to get out of their day-to-day hunger. They are forced to work as bounded labour with a wage of Rs. 6000/- per month.

Presently, the rural sanitation workers' role is to keep the villages clean by cleaning the garbage & and waste on the streets, drainage drains, solid waste, septic tanks, water tanks, repairing pipelines, feces of animals, and removal of dead and decaying animals. According to panchayat leaders, they will have to report from 5 a.m. till 5 p.m. (12 hours of work), which is beyond the minimum 8 hours of work in a day. So they are unable to spend the required time on their daily household work and have no work-life balance.

Additionally, they are exposed to diseases associated with skin and respiratory. Also, they are prone to malaria and dengue. But inadequate supply of basic protection such as masks, gloves for hands, and shoes. Socially speaking, 99% of this work is predominantly carried out by SCs, and STs (Dalits and Adivasis). Society and caste structure in India pushed Dalits and Adivasi to these low profile unlearned jobs as their bound duty to perform. Although it is not directly written in any act, this has been the forced task traditionally which is replicated even today

Few of the sanitation workers have to work at the house of village elected president/Sarpanch freely. There is also harassment from Sarpanch and Secretary. Despite this, the sanitary workers continue to work for low wages and long hours. They don’t get monthly salaries of Rs. 6,000/- regularly. Any voice against injustice will end up with dismissal from the job. There will be no pension either. Medical facilities other than Arogyashri which apply to all those below the threshold have not been provided.

Hence, on the occasion of "World Hunger Day", the sanitation workers are calling for an immediate solution from the government to the following demands:

1. Sanitation workers should be given an identity card that is to be immediately made permanent.

2. As per the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission, the minimum wage should be Rs. 22,500/- per month and Rs. 850/- per day.

3. They should be included in the Mandal Parishad officer and the salaries should be deposited directly to the individuals’ bank account every month.

4. Salaries pending for months should be released immediately.

5. The attendance table should be maintained in panchayat and pay slips should be given at the end of the month.

6. Health cards with ESI facilities should be issued to all workers for medical purposes.

7. Everyone should be provided with protective equipment and uniform.

8. Free insurance facility of 10,00,000/- should be provided to every worker.

9. Sundays, festivals, and national holidays should be declared as holidays for workers.

10. Financial support should be given for children's education.

Let us submit our memorandums to the chief minister through the Mandal developments officers with the above-mentioned demands and continue to fight for our rights until it is actualized.