Sanitation workers can now lodge complaints via missed call to national commission

The National Commission for Safai Karmacharis will roll out the missed call facility on its foundation day, August 23, enabling sanitation workers to lodge complaints through a simple phone interface.

Vice-chairperson Hardeep Singh Gill announced the initiative on Friday, describing it as part of a broader push to improve accessibility for workers seeking redress. The facility will operate as a pilot project to gauge the volume of incoming grievances, with plans to establish a full call centre at NCSK offices once usage patterns are mapped.

Push for wage parity and safer conditions

Since assuming office in February, Gill has prioritised securing timely compensation for deaths in sewers and is working with the Labour Ministry to raise minimum wages for safai karmacharis to match those of skilled or semi-skilled workers. In May, the commission sent a letter to the Labour Minister requesting wage parity, directions to stop women cleaning staff from beginning shifts as early as 5 a.m., and a secure insurance policy that reflects the occupational hazards faced by sanitation workers.

The commission is also examining ways to regularise contract-based workers and coordinating with Union Ministries to issue directives that guarantee dignified and safe working conditions.

NAMASTE profiling stalled at 90,000 workers

Progress under the NAMASTE scheme for sewer and septic tank workers has stalled at around 90,000 registered workers, largely because state administrations have delayed validation in several areas. Gill said the NCSK is now considering a recommendation for a separate registration mechanism to cover sewer workers excluded from the current profiling exercise.

The commission's interventions reflect an effort to address systemic gaps in grievance handling and welfare delivery for a workforce that remains vulnerable to exploitation and hazardous working conditions.

Source: The Hindu