The Ooraga Valarchi Ullachithurai Uzhiyar Sangam has flagged manual scavenging that is resulting from the government built quarters of sanitation workers in Marandahalli not having inbuilt septic tanks.
In a petition to the chairperson of National Commission for Safai Karamcharis, the union of workers of rural development and local administration has flagged the reality of workers compelled to clean the sewers with human faeces draining directly from the toilets without septic tanks.
The union has also flagged non-issue of receipt for salaries paid to sanitation workers in Kambainallur town panchayat; that the salary deductions against loan secured from cooperative society must be paid to the society and details of the payments made against the loan also be given.
The union has highlighted the daily provision for safety gear starting with three-tier masks, four in number on a daily basis, along with disposable gloves, soap, sanitisers among others. The plight of the workers was bad with lack of safety gear that they are often pushed into buying their own safety gear, the union has stated.
The workers’ union also called for regular and periodic medical camps for permanent and casual workers; a full day paid weekly off and double wages for working on off days; and Deepavali bonus as per the Bonus Act for contractual workers.
Among the prominent issues flagged was how many town panchayat administrations were not issuing wage receipts to the workers; no receipts issued for the welfare deductions towards PF, ESI and that in many town panchayats deductions were not made linking workers to these social security schemes. The union has also asked the Commission to ensure eight-hour work, including lunch break, and not overburdening workers by non-filling up of vacancies.
