Septic tank empties deprive from fair income

Demand of work for Tank Emptiers are 8-10 days/month. They earn average BDT 500/working day. Those who work for Municipalities earn BDT 1600 to 5000. All these amount of income is not fair income or poor wage compare to minimum wage of garments sector. To maintain livelihood expenditure, sometimes they pull rickshaw, clean toilet of city dwellers and clean drain. This additional sources of income always not available. As they earn poor income, they fail to pay regular house rent, fee for health service and cost of medicine. They do not have access to bank loan or loan from micro finance providing NGOs. They take loan from money lander with high interest(from 50-100 %). This loan make them poorer. 

Safety tank Emptier want declaration of minimum wage for them. They need at least 15-20 days work/month and BDT 800/day income during working days. Day by day mainstream people occupied their cleaning jobs. Whereas when they tried to do mainstream job or business, mainstream people not accepting them. For example a tank emptier started tea stall but mainstream not buy tea from him, he try to pull rickshaw again his number of client not enough to continue so he returned to his cleaning job. Therefore they want government should specify job of cleaning industry only for Sweeper/Dalit by providing ID card or licence. Sometimes they did not go for work for illness. Government also could provide them special health service either free or with reduced service charge.

Above are results of a group work as part of a convention on dignity of Septic Tank Emptier organized by FSM network at LGED Bhaban on 7 December 2016. Practical Ation is a member of this network.