March 2025 Securing Rights for Sanitation Workers: The Case for Formalization in Bangladesh Sterenn Philippe and Tahmidul Islam
Roundtable discussion in Dhaka- "Steps to Improve the Living Standards and Social Security of Sanitation Workers"
March 2025 Securing Rights for Sanitation Workers: The Case for Formalization in Bangladesh Sterenn Philippe and Tahmidul Islam
Did you know that despite Bangladesh's National Social Security Strategy, thousands of sanitation workers remain excluded from essential benefits like pensions, health insurance, and maternity leave? These workers, often trapped in informal and exploitative employment arrangements, struggle daily without job security or social protection. WaterAid Bangladesh’s latest insights, based on conversations with 144 sanitation workers and key government officials, uncover the harsh realities of ghost employment, the lack of formal recognition, and the urgent need for policy reforms.
Did you know that Bangladesh adopted a National Social Security Strategy in 2015? It covers a person’s life from birth to death with a range of social security schemes − but unfortunately, not everyone can access these. This is especially true for informal workers, such as sanitation workers and their families. To better understand their situation, Sterenn interviewed Tahmid about the insights WaterAid Bangladesh got from their conversations with 144 sanitation workers and their families across two municipalities (Faridpur and Magura-and three city corporations: Dhaka North, Chittagong and Narayanganj) and from their discussions with 20 key government officials at the Local Government Institute (LGI), the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWCA), and the Ministry of Social Welfare (MoSW).
What kind of access to social security do sanitation workers have?
Well, it’s quite limited. Only 31% of widows of sanitation workers reported accessing the Widow Allowance Scheme. For child benefits, it’s just 9% of the households. When it comes to old age allowances, only 26% of older sanitation workers have access. Although 45% of children can access school stipends, shockingly, only 5% of the girls in the study area have access to the adolescent girl’s stipend scheme.
That’s a really low percentage! Why can’t they access the schemes?
One of the key issues is the informality of their employment. Most sanitation workers are informal and therefore can’t access the schemes. Even those employed by city corporations or municipalities are considered “regular informal sanitation workers.” This means they get job dresses and ID cards but that’s about it – they don’t qualify for any government schemes like health and life insurance, and retirement benefits and pensions. That’s why the government must formalize sanitation workers, so these workers can access the benefits they deserve.
That’s really unfair. But are there any positive steps being taken to improve the situation?
There have been some promising actions. For example, the Mayor’s Fund provides social assistance on humanitarian grounds for those who suffer injuries, health hazards, or death. In Chittagong, informal workers benefited from this fund through a retirement package. Also, NGOs like Practical Action and WaterAid have collaborated with insurance companies to pilot insurance projects for sanitation workers. There is hope, but we need more action.
Those sound like good initiatives. But it seems like more systemic changes are needed, right?
Absolutely. The national government, especially ministries dealing with labor, employment, and social justice, needs to reform and enforce labor regulations to support the formalisation of informal sanitation workers. This would allow municipal authorities and companies to employ sanitation workers on a long-term basis and ensure their access to social protection benefits like pensions, maternity leave, and insurance.
That makes sense. Formal employment would definitely provide more security and benefits. What about at the municipal level?
Municipal authorities should enumerate and register all sanitation workers, including formal and informal ones, and keep an up-to-date database. They should also include sanitation workers in social security schemes, provide occupational safety training, and work to eliminate ghost employment. A comprehensive citizen’s charter for sanitation workers is also needed, identifying vulnerabilities at each stage of the lifecycle and the applicable schemes.
Ghost employment? What is that?
We spoke with some ghost workers who told us they work anonymously for more influential employees who are officially listed on the municipality's payroll but don't actually do the work themselves. Instead, these workers do the job for them for lower wages, while the registered employees take a cut of the pay as commission. Ghost employment makes it impossible for them to access social security benefits that are supposed to be provided through institutional channels. Imagine working as a ghost sanitation worker. The job is incredibly tough and hazardous, and you’re underpaid. To make matters worse, a portion of your wages goes to registered workers who exploit your vulnerability for their profit. And then if you get injured or fall ill, you’re responsible for your own medical bills. There’s no safety net, you’re left scrambling to make ends meet without an income. You’re trapped in a cycle of exploitation and insecurity. This cycle needs to end.
So, what needs to happen to formalize sanitation workers?
We must keep pushing for the government to take action to protect sanitation workers in Bangladesh, ensuring they receive the dignity and support they deserve. Specifically, national government, including ministries responsible for labour, employment and social justice, should reform and enforce labour regulations and provide support for the formalisation of informal sanitation workers. Meanwhile, municipal authorities need to register all sanitation workers and keep an up-to-date database.
For more information on sanitation workers in Bangladesh, read the policy brief.
Authors: Adnan Hakeem is the Head of Technical Services at WaterAid Bangladesh. Sterenn Philippe is a consultant supporting WaterAid on sanitation initiatives.