Sanitation workers in Pakistan face unsafe conditions, harassment, and a lack of dignity and rights. Organizing is the key to recognition, dignity and Decent work In Pakistan.
A recent training of organisers held on the 21- 22 October 2024 in Lahore, Pakistan gathered the organizers of the affiliated unions of the Public Services International- PSI in the sanitation sector of Pakistan. This training aimed to address a pressing reality: the world of work is still insecure, and new problems are emerging at the international and national levels. These challenges result from breach of the social contract and state irresponsibility.
The goal of the workshop was clear: to enhance understanding of organizing and union building, focusing on improving conditions for sanitation workers.
Core issues included “Decency and Dignity”, fundamental to which are worker’s rights, fair wages for work, social security; freedom from discrimination, and exploitation at work. It emerged that sanitation workers have some problems at their workplace; these are Unsafe job surgery (termed as 3Ds-Dirty, Difficult and Dangerous), abuse, and no Social Legal rights. These challenges are compounded by the issues of job insecurity and rightly so, lack of understanding of Trade union rights.
The importance of the training was to show the existing problems of the sanitation sector: lack of OSH measures, wage disparity and no adequate legislation in favour of sanitation workers. These called for leadership, employment structures and working conditions and workers-friendly labour laws to protect workers’ dignity and rights.
Another of the major focuses of the training was to provide the organisers with concrete instruments and approaches to build unions and defend worker’s rights. A structure around a conversation named by McAlevey as Six Steps Structured Conversation was introduced as a leverage tool applied in the meeting. In this model, workers’ grievances are raised with them, their concerns addressed with information on how unions can assist them, and through effective persuasion, urged to take action. This is about establishing a relationship of trust and turning despair into hope among workers by using the concept of social mobilisation on the Worth of Workers’ Collective Action.
The last activity of the workshop was on the identification of action plans relevant to the specified unions. The participants were urged to use the lessons learned in the training in the respective neighbourhoods they operate in. This included identifying unorganized workers in the sanitation sector, scheduling visits to the field and enhancing union presence through the programmes and campaigns. Emphasis was placed on reporting and accountability in order that any activity whether big or small enhances the protection of workers and their surroundings.
