Amnesty International has highlighted the plight of sanitation workers in Pakistan, many of whom are Christian and face discrimination because of their caste or religious status.
A lot of the sanitation workers in Pakistan are Christians or Hindus from lower castes. Data from five government agencies in Punjab showed that Christians were disproportionately employed in lower grade jobs and specifically in sanitation positions.
Many reported being called derogatory names as a matter of course and they were often the victims of public segregation, particularly in matters related to food and eating utensils.
A number of sanitation workers told Amnesty that they were only in their current job because of discriminatory employment practices preventing them from finding alternative work.
One man claimed that he applied for a job as an electrician, but after the interviewers found out he was a Christian, would only offer him sanitation work.
“Once they know you are Christian, the only work they offer is sanitation," he said. Lacking any alternative, he accepted sanitation work.
Even within the industry Christians face further discrimination. One female Christian sanitation worker said, “Christian women clean toilets and wash clothes, whereas Muslim women work in the kitchen.”
As if being in such a situation were not bad enough, many live with the constant prospect of financial ruin at any moment, with a majority of sanitation workers (56 per cent) not in permanent arrangements and a similar number (55 per cent) having no written contract. Workplace protections and other benefits are also a fantasy for most.
Over half (55 per cent) of sanitation workers said they lacked proper safety equipment, with some telling stories of hand injuries due to broken glass and acid from sewage. In one case a man had to have his finger amputated after pricking it on a dirty syringe.
International human rights lawyer, Isabelle Lassée, said of the situation, “In Pakistan, labour law violations run parallel to and reinforce the discrimination and marginalization faced by sanitation workers.
“Amnesty International calls for a holistic, human rights-based approach that combines anti-discrimination practices with enforcement of labour laws to address the historical, social and economic harms experienced by sanitation workers in Pakistan.”
