New Delhi: On International Workers Day, safai karamcharis of the Delhi University staged a protest outside the Arts Faculty in North Campus after their contract was abruptly cancelled by the administration. The move effective from Wednesday, will render hundreds of workers unemployed.While some workers said they were informed a week ago through various sources about their possible termination, others reported they are yet to receive any official communication. Many of the karamcharis have been working in the university for 10-15 years.Since 2005, the DU administration has employed safai karamcharis on a contractual basis through Sulabh International. Being contract workers, they were not provided with either Provident Fund or Employees’ State Insurance. This prompted them to file a case in a labour court against Sulabh International.Also Read: Manual Scavengers, Women and Farmers Come Out with Manifestos of Their OwnThe DU has terminated the contract with Sulabh International and engaged a private company, Nex Gen Manpower Services Pvt Ltd. This company has refused to employ the existing workers. It will reportedly employ a set of “well-trained workers”.On Wednesday, the protesting workers demanded immediate reinstatement, giving them permanent employment and releasing pending PF and ESI.Students and safai karamcharis protest in DU North Campus. Credit: Riya BhardwajWorkers say they weren’t given notice Almost all safai karamcharis belong to the Valmiki caste, a Schedule Caste community. They work in hazardous conditions without safety-equipments and are forced to work overtime without compensation.38-year-old Vimlesh, who has worked as a safai karamchari for 12 years, says, “We were not given any notice. We arrived this morning to find they have employed other people to work. We have an experience of 10-12 years and work very efficiently. Why do they want to remove us?”Guddi, 40, has been working as a safai karamchari with the Delhi University for over 15 years. She informed The Wire that karamcharis cannot avail sick leaves or even take a leave on government holidays.“There is huge workload as one person has to do the work of four people. If some person takes a leave, we are forced to cover for them. Sometimes people take leave for 15 days, but we do not get paid for the extra work. The person who took leave also loses wages for that particular period.”A sanitation worker at the protest. Credit: Riya BhardwajAnother worker, requesting anonymity, said, “We clean toilets with various chemicals. We are not given any masks or gloves to protect ourselves. Because of this, I have rashes on my skin.”A group of young workers present at the protest were hesitant to speak. One of them said, “The administration doesn’t like people who speak. We are not a part of any union either.”Deepak, from Parivartankami Chhatra Sanghtan (Pachhas), added that the workers have not been given PF and ESI since they started working. “Workers are over-exploited, especially during the NAAC visits. They are made to work extra hours without any remuneration,” he said.The workers and students have had multiple rounds of negotiations with the DU administration. They reported that the administration has shrugged off its responsibility and refused to take any action. The administration was unavailable to comment.Similar incidents in the pastWorkers told The Wire that most of the safai karamcharis who have been terminated are either embroiled in litigation against Sulabh International or are vocal about their rights.The DU administration has in the past let go of workers who demand better working conditions. In 2016, a group of Dalit women were terminated from their jobs. They were reinstated after 3-month-long struggle by workers, teachers and students.In Lady Sri Ram College, workers were not paid their wages for months. It was only after weeks of protests by workers and students, that the workers were paid their dues.Also Read: Modi Govt Has Not Released a Single Rupee for Rehabilitation of Manual ScavengersRecently, there has been large-scale contractualisation in the university, including professors, library staff and workers.Paroma, an M.Phil student, from the university who came to the protest to extend solidarity with the workers said while ad-hoc appointment of teaching staff is talked about widely, the issues of safai karamcharis have been ignored. “While pension for middle-class people is advocated for, pension and PF for safaikaramcharis is not talked about,” she said.Riya Bhardwaj is an editorial intern with The Wire.
