10 Lakh Sanitation Workers Families in Maharashtra Refuse to Vote, Demanding Justice
10 Lakh Sanitation Workers Families in Maharashtra Refuse to Vote, Demanding Justice
The Maharashtra government’s approach of hiring contractors for sanitation services has resulted in the ongoing exploitation of sanitation workers in municipal corporations, councils, and panchayats for many years. In response, families of 10 lakh sanitation workers throughout Maharashtra have chosen to boycott the assembly elections, as stated by Charan Singh Tak, the national president of the All India Safai Mazdoor Congress.
Sanitation workers, especially those from the Valmiki, Mehtar, and Scheduled Castes, have numerous long-standing demands that the state government has consistently overlooked. Furthermore, although the government has announced economic development corporations for various communities, it has not established any economic corporation specifically for the Valmiki community.
The central and state governments are actively promoting the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. However, sanitation workers, who are essential for the success of this initiative, are not receiving the compensation they deserve. Municipalities have outsourced cleaning jobs to contractors, who then hire young people from the Valmiki and Scheduled Caste communities. Alarmingly, it is alleged that these contractors do not even pay the minimum wage.
These workers are not even receiving the minimum wage mandated by law. Charan Singh Takya has pointed out that the coalition government has failed to regulate these contractors. With none of their demands being met, members of the labor union and their families have chosen to boycott the assembly elections, which could significantly influence the outcome of the upcoming elections.
