Employmentweb_low

EmploymEnT, woRk, and hEalTh inEqualiTiEs - a global perspective
case study 89. manual scavenging exists even after banning. - atanu sarkar
Manual scavenging is the lifting and removal of human excreta manually, both in private houses and in toilets maintained by
public authorities. in india, it is mostly done in dry toilets, where human excreta are left on stone slabs, metal plates, mud or in
buckets. the workers collect and lift human excreta from toilets with uncovered hands and carry the load on their heads, hips or
shoulders. they are also engaged in cleaning sewage pits, where human excreta are directly dumped due to the absence of septic
tanks. Manual scavenging rests on the foundation of the indian caste system, with its ingrained beliefs about untouchability and
purity-pollution. it is the opinion of some social workers that manual scavenging cannot be eliminated without addressing caste
hierarchy and political structure in indian society. despite the passage of the employment of Manual scavengers and construction
of dry latrines (prohibition) act in 1993, it was not publicised in the Gazette of India until 1997, and no state ratified the act until 2000.
in 2002–2003, the Union Ministry for social Justice and empowerment admitted the existence of approximately 676,000 people who
lift human excreta for a living and the presence of some 9.2 million dry latrines spreading across twenty-one states and union
territories. but all states denied the presence of any scavengers and claimed that most of them had been rehabilitated in alternative
professions. in several municipalities, the traditional scavengers were absorbed as regular employees to collect urban waste and
receive social benefits as per government rule. However, there are still a large number of scavenger workers who are compelled
to continue their old jobs for their livelihood.
due to lack of proper sanitation in the rapid and lopsided growth of indian urban areas, most of the people living in slums and
unauthorised colonies practice open field defecation or use makeshift/temporary toilets that are essentially dry in nature due to the
scarcity of water. While there is always a demand for regular cleaning of these areas, which is done by existing scavengers, the
atmosphere of secrecy about the nature of their work, their position at the bottom of the social hierarchy and the lack of any kind
of labour organisation result in their exploitation in terms of poor wages and social exclusion. although scavengers are not forced
or bonded labourers per se, their position within the existing social structure often compels them to remain in their former
profession. even if they want to change their profession to more dignified jobs within the limits of their capacity, such as vegetable
or fruit vending, or as household servants, this is not possible in their local communities because of their “untouchable” status.
despite the many serious health risks in their occupation, which from the complete absence of attention to hygiene, and the mental
trauma due to continuous humiliation, there is no systematic epidemiological study of these problems, reflecting a lack of sensitivity
even among public health academics.
Sources
namala, a., & divakar, n. p. (2006, July). battle for liberation, then and now. Labour File.
pandita, s. caste based discrimination in india hidden apartheid for dalits. retrieved February 25, 2009, from
http://www.amrc.org.hk/alu_article/discrimination_at_work/caste_based_discrimination_in_india_hidden_apartheid_f
or_dalits
ramaswamy, g. (2005). India stinking: Manual scavengers in Andhra Pradesh and their work. chennai, india: navayana publishing.
Zaidi, a. (2006). india’s shame. Frontline, 23(18). retrieved February 25, 2009, from http://www.thehindu.com/fline/
fl2318/stories/20060922005900400.htm
child labour
child labour remains both pervasive and concentrated in the
informal economy of poor countries in africa, latin america, and
elsewhere, and the conditions of some of these workers may have
worsened (Quinlan, Mayhew, & Bohle, 2001). it has also reemerged
as an issue in wealthy countries (7% of australian
children aged 5-14 work; australian Bureau of statistics, 2007).
child labour is most prevalent in conjunction with precarious
employment (temporary and seasonal jobs and home-based work)
and numbers are found in high-risk industries such as agriculture,
which has caused governments to reconsider their child labour
laws (Gao, 2007; Kruse & Mahony, 2000; Mourell & allan, 2005).
like their poor country counterparts, a number work the bottom of
elabourate supply chains or subcontracting networks, such as
342