May Day: Workers Still Fighting For Their Rights
Pictures and text by Ashanthi Warunasuriya
While there have been many who have fought for the rights of labourers in this country, we hear of pioneers in the struggle for the rights of labourers as well.
‘May Day’ is celebrated on May 1 as a result of these struggles and people take to the streets on this day signifying the fight for the rights of the workers or labourers.
However, in this current era although labour issues are widely discussed and debated, it has become an issue without a viable solution in sight. However, today our focus is not on such issues affecting the labour force. Instead we decided to focus this article on a group of people who, although they are labourers, they never talk of their rights and they feed themselves if they earn and if not bear their hunger. Yes, there are many like this living in this country amidst the greatest of hardships. We at The Sunday Leader decided to pay a visit to a group of labourers at 4th Cross Street in Colombo Fort.
This set of labourers have no proper times of work, no time to eat and be it night or day, they are eternally busy. We headed to the 4th Cross Street and approached the 49th stock lot. By then the traders had already arrived to purchase their stocks of onions and potatoes from the wholesale merchants. Although these labourers were extremely busy, they were very courteous and between their work, found the time to chat to us as well.
Today we focus on the ‘Natami’ labourers of Colombo Fort. These Natami’s carry heavy sacks on their backs and the only thing protecting their back is either a folded sack or their t-shirt folded and placed on their back for padding. Their lives are certainly not the most comfortable of lives and for most of them, they carry these heavy loads on their backs through their sheer determination and the strength of their mind rather than their physical strength. Through rain or sun these Natamis engage in carrying these heavy loads on their bare backs just to feed those who depend on them. For them if they don’t work and earn their daily wage their families have no way to survive. Hence no matter what, they must work to feed their loved ones.
We came across Moorthi Kengaiya who had just finished a stint of carrying sacks and was taking a break. Moorthi is originally from Nuwara Eliya but at present resides in Wellampitiya. His father was an estate ‘Kankani’. He has eight siblings and he took great pains to send one of his brothers overseas and he helps his family as well. He said the brother whom he had helped now helps his family in return, a perfect example of brotherly affection. Moorthi is the father of two daughters and a son. He is 55-years-old and his two elder daughters are both married. His son is looking for a job.
Moorthi who sports a slim figure has been carrying sacks since the age of 14 to support his family. “My aunt lived in Peliyagoda and I came to her place initially and worked as a mason and then I got a job in a retail store. However, after I got married and we had our eldest daughter, the expenses got higher. Therefore I had to find another job in order to manage the expenses at home. That was how I eventually ended up doing this job as a ‘Natami’,” said Moorthi recalling his entry into the world of carrying heavy loads on his back to ease the burden on his family.
Moorthy first began his work at 4th Cross Street at Laksiri 178 wholesale shop and later moved to the 49th shop. All these wholesale shops however are owned by the same family of brothers. According to Moorthy, the number of lorries that come here to unload their goods cannot be counted as there are so many. The stocks that arrive too depend on the particular season and the quantity of the orders. Here they trade onions, potatoes, salt, garlic, dried fish, etc. For each 25kg sack that these Natami’s carry they are paid Rs. 10 while they receive Rs. 20 for every 50 kg sack they carry. As for Moorthy, he can carry three 25 kg sacks on his back per time, while there are others who can carry even greater weight. Hence according to him per time he can earn around Rs. 75-100. Doing this strenuous job throughout the day is certainly no easy task and continuing this also puts a great strain on their backs and spine.
According to Moorthy, he earns on average around Rs. 1,500 per day but added that if he can carry greater weight or work for longer, he could earn around Rs. 3,000 per day, adding that the amount you earn depends on the number of sacks you can carry per day. However, after he spends on his food for the day, he can take home around Rs. 700.
Most of these labourers are in the habit of chewing beetle and after a hard day’s work, many of them indulge in consumption of alcohol as well. We asked Moorthy if he too consumes alcohol. “Yes miss, I do take a bit of arrack. I take it to curb the aches and pains in my body after carrying these sacks the whole day. Then I go home, bathe and have dinner. My wife understands and I don’t harass her,” he said.
Moorthy’s shoulders are calloused and his body thin and looking haggard. We asked him how he does this job at his age. “My children ask me to stay at home but how can I be a burden to them? I will work until I can work no more and take care of my family without being a burden on anyone. I have told my wife to save from what I earn and when I am old and feeble, I have asked her to take care of me with whatever she has saved. I am confident that my wife will take care of me the day I cannot work any longer. I work not by the strength of my body, but by the sheer strength of my mind,” said Moorthy.
His strength is his family and he wakes up at 4 am and reports for work by 5 am and continues his work until 8 pm. Recalling his first day as a labourer, he said after having worked the first day he felt his bones were all broken and had to go home and apply oil and get his wife to massage his aching joints. However, when he thought of his wife and children, it gave him the strength to continue his work knowing that the earnings would feed his family and provide for them.
However, most of these labourers engage in this profession to feed their various addictions. Some are addicted to drugs while others are addicted to alcohol but justify their addictions by claiming that they only take these to get rid of their aches and pains. Around 35 per cent of these labourers are addicted to drugs while around 85 per cent are addicted to alcohol. Due to the background they hail from, these labourers are looked down upon by society. There are no organisations to look into their grievances, no NGOs concerned for their well being and no one to fight for their rights. In fact they have no rights other than to cart these heavy loads and depend on the shop owners to pay them for their services. Neither do they have any trade unions or even job security. It all depends on the shop owners or ‘Mudalalis’ who decide to keep them or send them away.
“We don’t have any of these privileges. I have been working for this shop for many years now and have been a loyal and honest worker. Once I met with an accident and the shop keeper Gajamugam of shop 49, was generous enough to take care of me. He did not have to but it was out of his goodness that he took care of me. If he decided not to do so, then there would have been nothing that I could have done. My whole family would have suffered if not for his kindness,” said Moorthy.
However, for many other Natamis, it has not been so good. As they are daily labourers and move constantly in search of work, they cannot be saddled to one location. However, at least there should be some way that these shop owners could form some sort of organisation or committee that could see to the welfare of these labourers that the whole country takes for granted. For Moorthy, just like every other parent, he aspires a better future for his children. “Let alone my son, I will never want anyone I love to take up this job as a profession. This is a very gruelling job for such little wages. I am looking for a job for my son now but don’t want him to take up this job,” he said.
With May Day coming up we asked Moorthy if he had plans to join the parade. “I went for these rallies when I was a young man. Yet now with my family responsibilities how can I go? If I don’t work a single day I don’t get paid and then I won’t be able to feed my family. Hence for most of us labourers who work for a daily wage, we do not skip work as we have to starve on that day. “To us it makes no difference if it’s a holiday, New Year, or any other celebration. We must work to earn our daily wage and put food on the table for our families. If not our whole family will be in hunger,” he said.
For labourers such as Moorthy, on holidays the lorries that arrive in Fort and Pettah are limited and therefore they can manage to find enough to provide the basic meals for their families on such days.
We may differ in the forms of work we engage in, but as a whole we all engage in some form of work to provide for our families and make a living. Hence on this Labour Day, as human beings, let’s rally around to give respect to all workers in this country irrespective of their status or professions each of us are engaged in, be it the highest or the lowest, they all deserve to be appreciated for their contribution to society in their own chosen fields.
We are all interconnected in some manner and all cannot be doctors or lawyers and even the labourer is a vital link in our society and they play a vital role in our economy. Hence let’s appreciate them all and their contribution to society and make this Labour Day a day that we truly appreciate the services of every worker in this country irrespective of their social status.
