Sanitary workers: Living a life of utter neglect

Sanitary workers being paid Rs 10,000 a month by private contractors against the official minimum wage of Rs12,000

ISLAMABAD:

With a broom tied to it, Rafique Masih, a sanitary worker, drags a wheelbarrow from house to house and street to street to collect house waste and garbage in Sector I-10/1

Despite the government setting minimum wage to Rs12,000, Mashi, who has been in the profession for the last eight years, complains he has been working for a pittance— only Rs10,000 a month. To make matters worse Masih’s salary has been withheld by his supervisor as a punishment for absence from work.

“I could not make it to work because of my poor health but my supervisor has no paid my salary as a punishment which has left me broke,” he stated.

The 38-year-old is the only bread-winner of his family, and is ‘victimised’ at the hands of a private contractor, who has been awarded the contract by civic agency, but no system for monitoring is in place.

“How is it possible to survive when one is not being paid for his labour,” asks Masih.

“Doctors have advised me to take bed rest but I cannot. If I quit the job, I will have to starve my children,” he concedes.

Like Masih, many sanitary workers are a victimised at the hands of private contractors.

The Capital Development Authority has outsourced six sectors including G-6, G-7, G-8, G-9, G-10 and I-10 to private contractors, who exploit them with impunity.

Mukhtar Masih, another sanitary worker has a similar story to tell. Deputed in G-8/2, Mukhtar narrates that he has been in the profession for over 30 years but is paid a meager amount of Rs10,000 a month which, according to him is not even paid on time.

He added that the contractors are bound to pay salaries at the start of every month but they follow the contract agreement.

“Being a minority and poor are both a stigma in this country. After the death of my wife, I am looking after my children but living a miserable life,” he said.

Zarina Bibi, another sanitary worker deputed in G-9/4, shared the same issues.

“Neither the government nor our Christian leaders highlight our plight,” she insisted.

A CDA municipal administration official on the condition of anonymity said that private employees were hired by contractors, and the CDA has no influence on them.

He further revealed that the CDA only protects the rights of the regularised employees who are also entitled to other facilities including health and residence.

The official explained that, G-7 was the first sector to be outsourced back in 1992, followed by other sectors. He said that the outsourcing would be expanded more sectors in the future.

Former minorities’ minister Julius Salik, who is also the resident of the capital, claimed that he has been highlighting the problems being faced by the Christian and will continue his struggle for their rights.

“I was the first person, who opposed the contract system, which is economic murder of the poor people,” he said.

Despite repeated calls, Minister for Labour and Human Resource Raja Ashfar Sarwar did not respond and clarifies as to why the ministry failed to implement the minimum wage of Rs12,000 as fixed by the federal government.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2014.