Labour union claims conservancy workers being forced into manual scavenging in Thane hospital

A labour union on Saturday alleged 'safai karamcharis' (conservancy workers) of Thane Regional Mental Hospital are being forced to indulge in manual scavenging in contravention of provisions of Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013.

These workers, who number more than a hundred, have also been denied basic wages, safety equipment and mandated health facilities by the Pune-based contracting firm that has deployed them, claimed Sharmik Janata Sangh general secretary Jagdish Khairalia.

''These safai karamcharis are cleaning excreta with their bare hands. This is not only illegal but also inhumane. Despite working there since 2008, they have not been paid salaries in time. Uniforms have been distributed only once in six years, and the workers have never been provided with protective gear or safety equipment while handling biohazardous waste,'' he told reporters.

As per Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013, also called the MS Act, manual scavenging is a banned activity in the country with effect from December 6, 2013.

Manual scavenging means a person engaged or employed by an individual or local authority or a public or private agency for manually cleaning and disposing of or handling in any manner human excreta in a unsanitary latrine, open drain or pit.

The wages paid are below the rates prescribed under Minimum Wages Act, and even these are often delayed beyond the legally mandated 7th of each month, he added.

Due to the contractor's mistake, the workers are not receiving ESIC benefits, while the hospital administration, which as per the agreement is the principal employer, is turning a blind eye to the situation, Khairalia alleged.

The state chief secretary, the labour and health departments must immediately intervene to ensure these workers get justice, the Shramik Janata Sangh general secretary said.

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