Skip to main content

No salary for 2 months, hundreds of Delhi safai karmacharis sacked: Public hearing told

By Sanjeev Kumar* 
Hundreds of contractual sewer workers from different zones of Delhi, working under Delhi Jal Board have been removed without any prior notice in the past month. Most of these workers, who have been working since the past 10-15 years, were not given their salary for the last 2 months and were suddenly removed from their jobs this month.
No notice was issued by the authorities, and shocked by the sudden removal of hundreds of workers, there was a Public Hearing held at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi on 28th December 2023.
Around 300 workers from all across Delhi gathered for a public hearing, organised by Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) in collaboration with other civil rights groups, sharing their grievances to the jury panel and the audience. The testimonies given by the workers revealed shocking realities of their working conditions.
Workers from Pritampura, West Delhi, said they were never told what their exact salary was and were paid in cash without any receipt by the supervisor. A worker, who chose to stay anonymous, said, “We have been working for 15 years, many contractors come and go, but we have to fight for our daily wage of Rs  450!” A worker working in Navjeevan Vihar added, he did not get his salary even for Diwali and Dussehra and his family has been surviving on loan since then.
A worker from Kalkaji, South Delhi, said he was suddenly removed from his job on 7th December without any prior notice or reason. In another case, a worker, from Eidgah store, approached the government authorities on non-payment of salary, but after the complaint was filed he was removed from his job and has not been hired by any contractor since then.
Such intimidation tactics are used by contractors which stops the workers from voicing their concerns.
Sanjay Gehlot, chairman, Delhi Commission for Safai Karamcharis, who was part of the jury, took cognisance of the plight of the issues and assured that he would take immediate action to release the due payment and ensure that their jobs are secured.
Senior Supreme Court lawyer Colin Gonsalves, who was also part of the jury panel, told the workers, “Removing you without notice is illegal! Giving your salary in cash is illegal! Not giving you your complete salary is illegal!”
A worker approached the authorities on non-payment of salary, but after the complaint was filed, he was removed from his job
Other jury panel members were former MP and Vice-President, All India Kisan Sabha Hannan Mollah; Member of the State-level Shelter Monitoring Committee Indu Prakash Singh; National Secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Amitava Guha; Director of the Centre for Workers Management Dithhi Bhattacharya, ; social worker Anil Varghese; advocate Harnam Singh, who is also Chairperson, Monitoring Committee, Delhi High Court; and Meena Kotwal, founding editor, "The Mooknayak".
They heard the testimonies of 15 workers and gave the following recommendations:
  • Reinstatement of all contractual sewer workers and payment of all pending dues including wages, Provident funds and other social securities.
  • As per the minimum wages notification of Delhi government for unskilled labour (dated: 1st october 2022), workers must be paid a minimum wages of at least ₹ 17,494 per month.
  • While appreciating the effort of the Aam Aadmi Party government to regularize 700 contractual workers of DJB, they must regularize all contractual employees who have worked for more than 240 days and the gaps in employment should be considered a sham and bogus.
  • Implementation of court orders of writ petition (Civil) 5232/2007 in letter and spirit. Also implementation of the Supreme Court orders dated 20/10/2023 recommending payment of ex gratia of ₹30 lakh in case of death. The Jury also recommends that the compensation be paid immediately without any delay.
  • ESI and Identity Card for all workers in all sectors.
  • Provision of scholarship for children of sewer workers in educational institutions.
Union leaders decided to approach the CEO of the Delhi Jal Board with these recommendations and the workers decided to gather at the DJB Varunalaya till they are given their due salary and given their jobs back.
Other organisations which helped organise the public hearing included Municipal Workers Lal Jhanda Union (CITU), Delhi Jal Board Sewer Department Mazdoor Sangathan, All DJB Employees Welfare Association, Jal Mal Kaamgaar Sangharsh Morcha, Delhi Jal Board Karamchari Union, National Campaign for Dignity and Rights of Sewerage and Allied Workers (NCDRSAW), Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre (PMARC), Sewerage and Allied Workers Forum (SSKM), Vimarsh Media and Magadh Foundation.
---
*Secretary, Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM); convener, National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM). Click here for public hearing report

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

70,000 migrants, sold on Canadian dream, face uncertain future: Canada reinvents the xenophobic wheel

By Saurav Sarkar*  Bikram Singh is running out of time on his post-study work visa in Canada. Singh is one of about 70,000 migrants who were sold on the Canadian dream of eventually making the country their home but now face an uncertain future with their work permits set to expire by December 2024. They came from places like India, China, and the Philippines, and sold their land and belongings in their home countries, took out loans, or made other enormous commitments to get themselves to Canada.
Post a Comment
Read more

Kerala government data implicates the Covid vaccines for excess deaths

By Bhaskaran Raman*  On 03 Dec 2024, Mr Unnikrishnan of the Indian Express had written an article titled: “Kerala govt data busts vaccine death myth; no rise in mortality post-Covid”. It claims “no significant change in the death rate in the 35-44 age group between 2019 and 2023”. However, the claim is obviously wrong, even to a casual observer, as per the same data which the article presents, as explained below.
1 comment
Read more

PM-JUGA: Support to states and gram sabhas for the FRA implementation and preparation and execution of CFR management plan

By Dr. Manohar Chauhan*  (Over the period, under 275(1), Ministry of Tribal Affairs has provided fund to the states for FRA implementation. Besides, some states like Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra allocated special fund for FRA implementation. Now PM-JUDA under “Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan(DAJGUA) lunched by Prime Minister on 2nd October 2024 will not only be the major source of funding from MoTA to the States/UTs, but also will be the major support to the Gram sabha for the preparation and execution of CFR management Plan).
Post a Comment
Read more

Operation Kagar represents Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism: Resistance continues

By Harsh Thakor Operation Kagar represents the Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism, which claims to embody the struggles and aspirations of Adivasis. Criminalized by the state, the Maoists have been portrayed as a threat, with Operation Kagar deploying strategies that jeopardize their activities. This operation weaves together economic, cultural, and political motives, allegedly with drone attacks on Adivasi homes.
Post a Comment
Read more

How Amit Shah's statement on Ambedkar reflects frustration of those uncomfortable with Dalit assertion, empowerment

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Dr. B.R. Ambedkar remains the liberator and emancipator of India’s oppressed communities. However, attempts to box him between two Brahmanical political parties betray a superficial and self-serving understanding of his legacy. The statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha was highly objectionable, reflecting the frustration of those uncomfortable with Dalit assertion and empowerment.
Post a Comment
Read more

This book delves deep into Maoism's historical, social, and political dimensions in India

By Harsh Thakor*  "Storming the Gates of Heaven" by Amit Bhattacharya is a comprehensive study of the Indian Maoist movement. Bhattacharya examines the movement's evolution, drawing from numerous sources and showcasing his unwavering support for Charu Mazumdar's path and practice. The book, published in 2016, delves deeply into the movement's historical, social, and political dimensions.
Post a Comment
Read more

Ideological assault on dargah of Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti will disturb pluralistic legacy: Modi told

Counterview Desk Letter to the Prime Minister about "a matter of the utmost concern affecting our country's social fabric": *** We are a group of independent citizens who over the past few years have made efforts to improve the deteriorating communal relations in the country. It is abundantly clear that over the last decade relations between communities, particularly Hindus and Muslims, and to an extent Christians are extremely strained leaving these latter two communities in extreme anxiety and insecurity.
Post a Comment
Read more

Defeat of martial law: Has the decisive moment for change come in South Korea?

By Steven Lee  Late at night on December 3, soldiers stormed into South Korea’s National Assembly in armored vehicles and combat helicopters. Assembly staff desperately blocked their assault with fire extinguishers and barricades. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol had just declared martial law to “ eliminate ‘anti-state’ forces .”
Post a Comment
Read more