Sanitation workers include sewerage workers, garbage collection workers, recycling and waste pickers, street sweepers and others involved in keeping public space sanitary. Across the South Asia sub-region, these workers face discrimination and a lack of respect, receive low wages, lack job security and work in dangerous conditions, often without basic personal protective equipment (PPE). But the most important barrier that all unions identified, was the lack of trade union rights and trade union power.

Unions shared stories of the struggles sanitation workers face. In Bangladesh, sanitation workers live in a separate housing compound, called the sweepers colony, in terrible conditions. Their children are denied education and the workers’ wages are far below the amount required for their families to have a nutritious diet – malnutrition is common in the community.

In India, workers from Tamil Nadu and Nagpur spoke about the vast disparities between permanent and outsourced workers as well as the the impact of privatisation. Outsourced workers earn only a quarter of the wages of the permanent workforce. They are denied sick leave, overtime, job security and pensions. Employers are promoting outsourcing as a way of slashing wages and working conditions and breaking union power.

Conditions for workers in Nepal have improved in recent years as a result of trade union strength but workers still receive wages far below a living wage. One worker shared stories of dangerous working conditions, including one of her colleagues being horrifically injured by acid while handling mixed waste without adequate PPE.

Deaths and injuries to sanitation workers are common challenges across the sub-region. Too many workers who clear septic systems and drains have died due to absence of PPEs or proper safety equipment. In Nagpur, one worker shared that a fellow garbage truck driver had four fingers crushed and severed by a truck. The injured worker received very little compensation. Worse, he was terminated from work when the employer said his injury made him unsuitable for the work.

Caste systems also play a role in denying workers basic human rights across the South Asia. Workers face daily dehumanising acts in some cities, including refusing to allow them to drink water from normal cups and other acts of social exclusion. Jobs are handed down to the children of sanitation workers. Workers also reported that if their children don’t take over the role when they retire, they can lose their housing.

Together the unions decided to work toward the launch of a South Asian Sanitation Workers Platform, which will include workers from India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. They noted that while some international attention has been paid to the plight of sanitation workers, there has been no support from international institutions to actually build workers’ power.

“This meeting has given our union and sanitation workers in Bangladesh confidence that we are not alone, that PSI and the powerful unions around the world that are members of PSI, will stand with us until we win the struggle for trade union rights and decent work for sanitation workers” said union leader Azizul Alam Khan.