Sweepers grow old, too

The assurance of an employment-related pension in old age is an important consideration for many who choose to pursue public sector careers. But for sweepers like Faridpur town's 75-year-old Babur Ali, retirement is unimaginable. Despite 45 years service in keeping the town clean he is still hired on a day-to-day basis, without any of the benefits one might expect from such dedicated public service.

At 3:00am when the town is asleep, Babur leaves his residence with basket and broom. He wanders Faridpur's roads collecting rubbish to empty into the rubbish cart being wheeled alongside him by a co-worker. He does this every day, without any holiday. He is on duty seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Babur is honest and hardworking, struggling to make ends meet. His meagre salary affords a one-room house of ten by eight feet in an unhygienic neighbourhood set within a maze of alleyways. Such dwellings which abut the municipal abattoir and the railway station are most often shared by extended families. His has no kitchen so food must be prepared on the footpath in front of their home. Babur is one of 250 Muslim sweepers, both male and female, to call the Faridpur Municipality Muslim Sweepers' Colony home.

Of a morning in the colony parents are often absent with children left to fend for themselves. “My parents and elder brother are at work,” says six-year-old Sohel who is playing in the short yard in front of their home. “They return at noon.” With both men and women in each household having spent the morning hours cleaning the street, when they do return all are tired.

“I have been working as a sweeper for 25 years,” says Johor Ali, 55, one of Babur's neighbours. “I would be really happy if my job was made permanent.”

“We are often neglected,” remarks another sweeper, Unus Bappary, 50. “People sometimes insult us. Most people think our work is so dirty such that we are untouchables to them.”

“Sometimes our women are harassed,” adds Babur, “by someone who has left their house late at night.” Indeed for female sweepers harassment is not the only additional difficulty.

“For the last five years I have worked as a sweeper,” says Dolna Khatun, 25. “It's so hard to leave my children at home alone from late at night. But we need this work so that we can eat. Even though our work is hard the authorities do not offer us any employment permanency.”

Rubbish truck driver for Faridpur Municipality Ripon Sheikh, 30, worries about his life and his job security. “If the authority decides any day that we are no longer required we'll be unemployed. We have raised the issue with the authorities but no change has been forthcoming.”

“I started this job when I was 15 years old,” says Sojibur Rahman, 20. “It's five years later but I am still a temporary employee.”

“The female workers earn Tk 3,000 per month and the male workers Tk 6,000,” explains the colony's leader, Rafiq Sheikh, 66. “I myself have been working for 30 years and do not take any extra benefit from my service. Actually, for the last three days I was unable to work due to cold and fever, so I will not get my full month's salary this month. We have no security: not in our jobs nor in our lives.”

Faridpur's mayor Sheikh Mahatab Ali says it is a rule that all sweepers work as day labourers only. “Here I have nothing to do,” he says. “It would be possible to address their concerns only if our government changes the rule.”