3 days ago
Conservancy workers being forced into manual scavenging in Thane hospital: Labour union
THANE: 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 the 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.
