‘GRH sanitary workers not paid as per govt. norms’

Sanitary workers at GRH in Madurai not paid as per govt norms; 700 workers paid only ₹430/day instead of ₹583; workers not covered under any insurance scheme; State govt urged to deal with workers directly. #Madurai #SanitaryWorkers #GovernmentRajajiHospital #GRH #NationalCommissionforSafaiKaramcharis #DME #DistrictCollector #LabourWelfareDepartment #Karnataka #AndhraPradesh #TheHindu

“Sanitary workers at Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) in Madurai are not paid as per government norms,” said M. Venkatesan, Chairman, National Commission for Safai Karamcharis, after conducting an inspection at the hospital on Tuesday.

Mr. Venkatesan, in the presence of GRH Dean A. Rathinavel and other medical officers, held a meeting following a complaint from the workers regarding the low wage. “The sanitary workers employed on a contract basis had sent a complaint to the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) that they were being paid less despite the government’s order for a hike,” he said.

It was found that around 700 sanitary workers were paid only ₹430 per day instead of ₹583. “Despite the District Collector passing orders in June to increase their wage, the contract company has not implemented it,” he said.

They had written to the contract company and the Labour Welfare Department to ensure payment of the assured wage from this month, he said.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Venkatesan said he had also instructed the company to clear the arrears. He said the workers were given shoes for their protection, which were not utilised by them. Hence, they had suggested to the company to provide them with quality slippers and raincoats.

“As the sanitary workers are employed on a contract basis, they could not raise any questions with the authorities owing to the fear of losing their job,” said Mr. Venkatesan. Mainly, the workers were not covered under any insurance scheme, which was against labour laws, he added.

To address these issues, the State government should deal with the workers directly, he said.