July 29, 2025
Staff Report
LAHORE
Sanitation workers in Pakistan face widespread caste- and religion-based discrimination, hazardous working conditions, and denial of basic employment protections and healthcare, according to a new report by Amnesty International. The 2025 report, titled “Cut Us Open and See That We Bleed Like Them”, documents the experiences of over 230 sanitation workers in six districts, revealing systemic abuses deeply rooted in class, caste, and religious hierarchies.
Precarious employment and denial of benefits
Despite sanitation work being vital and continuous, Amnesty’s research found that the majority of sanitation workers in Pakistan are hired as daily-wage or contractual labour, depriving them of legal protections and job security. “By its very nature, sanitation work is of a permanent character… however, government bodies across Pakistan have increasingly avoided regularizing sanitation workers,” the report notes.
Out of 66 workers surveyed in the study, only 29 were permanent employees. Many were unaware of their employment status, and some, despite working for decades, had never received confirmation of their employment rights. In Umerkot, a worker told Amnesty: “I have worked in the Municipal Committee for 18 years, yet I’m still considered a daily-wage worker.”
Workers also reported being forced to sign 89-day contracts repeatedly to bypass rules that mandate permanent employment after three months. “Thirty of the surveyed workers had no written contracts,” the report states, allowing employers to deny them legal entitlements like paid leave, minimum wage, and benefits.
A stark disparity exists between male and female workers. Only eight women in the study earned more than Rs 30,000 per month, compared to 21 men. Eight women earned as little as Rs 10,000, reflecting a gendered pay gap.
Lack of medical and social security support
Medical and social protections were virtually absent for most workers, with many reporting that they had to take loans to cover healthcare expenses. Only 19 of 66 respondents said they received any kind of medical assistance—mostly those classified as permanent employees.
Amnesty found that awareness of social welfare schemes was extremely low. None of the respondents were aware of the Workers Welfare Fund (WWF), and only one had heard of the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI).
Cases of death and injury were especially concerning. In 2021, two workers—Faisal Masih (a permanent employee) and Nadeem Masih (a daily-wager)—died while cleaning a sewer in Sargodha. While Faisal’s family received Rs 1.9 million in compensation, Nadeem’s family received just Rs 500,000, and only after an out-of-court settlement.
Religious discrimination and caste-based hiring
Amnesty’s report reveals how sanitation work in Pakistan is deeply linked to caste and religious identity. The majority of the workforce is composed of Christians and Scheduled Caste Hindus, who are often forced into sanitation jobs by virtue of their identity. These observations have been corroborated by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) that found in its 2022 report that 80% of non-Muslim religious minorities are employed in the lowest grades for government jobs.
According to data gathered by Amnesty, in Punjab University, only four out of 400 sanitation workers were Muslim. Similarly, in the Punjab police force, nearly all non-Muslims were employed in low-grade sanitation-related roles.
A sanitation worker from Bahawalpur shared that he had applied for a job as an electrician, but was offered only a sweeper’s position after the employer learned he was Christian. “I accepted the job because I had no other option,” he said.
Many workers said they were routinely subjected to derogatory slurs like “chuhra,” “bhangi,” and “issai.” A female worker in Peshawar shared that her children were ashamed to talk about her job because of the stigma. “Even our children feel hesitation when talking about our occupation in school,” she said.
In Lahore, another worker described how “even if Christian workers are educated, they are hired as cleaners. But an illiterate Muslim can become an officer.”
Discriminatory job advertisements persist despite legal rulings. The Supreme Court in 2023 declared minority-only sanitation posts unconstitutional, yet at least 16 such job ads were documented since then.
Unsafe working conditions and hazardous health risks
The report paints a grim picture of the occupational risks sanitation workers face. Workers often clean open drains and sewer lines manually using rudimentary tools and without any safety gear—exposing them to toxic fumes, sharp objects, and diseases.
Out of 66 respondents, 36 reported work-related health issues, ranging from skin burns and chronic coughs to serious injuries. One worker in Islamabad lost a finger after being pricked by a syringe while collecting waste without gloves.
Only six respondents reported receiving any safety training. Fourteen said they received no safety equipment at all, and six had to buy protective gear from their own salaries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, personal protective equipment (PPE) was briefly provided, but the practice has largely stopped.
80 deaths in manholes
Deaths on the job are alarmingly frequent. The Center for Law & Justice documented 80 deaths of sanitation workers in manholes between 2011 and 2023—most of them non-Muslims. “Deaths in this line of work are extremely common,” said a worker in Karachi. “Four to five of our workers have died in the main line… due to lack of safety equipment.”
Out of fear of sudden termination, workers often feel compelled to take on risky tasks. Fifty out of 66 survey respondents said they feared losing their jobs without notice. A male worker in Lahore recounted: “[When I am cleaning the streets] people often remark, ‘This chuhra has come again and now he will spread dust everywhere.’”
Key recommendations
Amnesty International concludes the report with a list of urgent recommendations for the Government of Pakistan:
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End manual cleaning of drains and sewers and introduce mechanized cleaning with training for workers.
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Amend the Constitution to outlaw caste-based discrimination and pass specific anti-discrimination legislation.
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Ban discriminatory recruitment practices, especially those that target only religious minorities for sanitation work.
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Regularize all sanitation workers, regardless of employment status, and mandate written contracts.
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Ensure fair wages, end unlawful deductions, and eliminate the gender pay gap.
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Provide adequate PPE and occupational safety training to all workers.
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Enroll all sanitation workers in social security and welfare schemes including healthcare and pensions.
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Fund awareness campaigns and revise school curricula to reduce caste- and religion-based stigma.
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Enforce labour laws through better-resourced labour inspections, especially in domestic and informal sectors.
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Support educational and professional mobility for sanitation workers and their families through affirmative action.
One of the most haunting quotes from the report comes from a woman sanitation worker in Lahore: “They can cut us open and see that we bleed like them, so why do they call us these hateful words?”
The report highlights how caste and religious biases, disguised as occupational norms, continue to deny thousands of Pakistani workers the right to dignity, safety, and equality.