Sanitation workers at the frontline: work and vulnerability in response to COVID-19

ABSTRACT

The absence of a vaccine and effective treatment for COVID-19 has created public panic and burdened the health systems in most countries. Along with health workers’, sanitation personnel are also working at the frontlines in the war against the disease by keeping cities clean. Sanitation workers are engaged in Drudgery, Dangerous, Dirty and Dehumanising work that makes them vulnerable for developing the chronic respiratory diseases due to the exposure of various hazardous materials and toxic gases that are emitted from the solid waste. The sanitation workers working on a contractual basis are excluded from the labour policies and welfare programs who are playing a vital role in fighting the pandemic. Women sanitation workers are even more vulnerable because most of them are non-literate, poor in financial management and under-represented in the sanitation employee’s union. The local and state governments should protect and safeguard sanitation workers by providing them with adequate protective equipment, ensure payment of paying adequate salaries and provide them with health insurance.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-29
• Sanitation workers
• dangerous
• dirty and dehumanising work
• coronavirus warriors
• India

Acknowledgements

P.S. and S.J. have conceived, designed and writeen the manucript. All authors equaly contributed to this manucript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Dalits are socioeconomically disadvantage communities belonging to the lower caste categories in India.

2 The scheduled of the Constitution of India identified socioeconomically backward castes which were historically discriminated based on their caste. Previously known as the untouchable in India.