Sanitation workers face neglect

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sanitation  workers, who have been at the forefront of the Covid battle, are complaining of neglect from authorities. “We don’t have PPE kits or protective gear,” said Vimal G Anand, a sanitation worker who tested positive for Covid and is now under treatment at a CFLTC in the capital. 

“For the past seven months, I have been on duty at the CFLTC where I am being treated now. We handle biomedical waste and clean the facility every day without wearing PPE kits. Two of my colleagues also tested positive. Many have been reinfected. We buy masks with money from our pockets. We are not allowed to skip duty as we don’t get holidays. They only want our service and don’t care whether we live or die,” lamented Vimal, who is one among the 1,200 contingent workers under the city corporation. 

A necessary workforce
In addition to 750 permanent contingent workers, the civic body has hired around 140 temporary sanitation workers. Since the pandemic outbreak, 350 sanitation workers hired for maintaining the Thumboormuzhi aerobic bins are also actively involved in Covid mitagation.

 “A majority of us are yet to be vaccinated and some have only received the first dose. We come for work during the triple lockdown despite the police giving us a hard time. Every day, I walk three kilometres to catch a ride to work,” said Nelson T, who has been a sanitation worker for the past 20 years. 

‘VACCINE RELUCTANCE’
According to a senior official of the corporation, sanitation workers were not very keen on getting vaccinated initially. “Later, when they showed interest, vaccines were unavailable. We will ensure they all get the vaccines very soon,” the official added. 

NO TRANSPORTATION FACILITY
Municipal Corporation Workers Federation (CITU) general secretary Kannamoola Vijayan said the sanitation workers are yet to get priority vaccination or safe transportation to arrive for work. “In addition to all the hardships they face, they are being harassed by the police,” Vijayan adds. “There are school buses which are not being used right now. The authorities could use them for transporting sanitation workers,” he says.