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Battling pollution, sexual harassment:Women workers in petrol bunks
The petrol bunk workers in and around Visakhapatnam are exposed to a high level of air pollution, along with petrol and diesel vapours. Both of these factors are affecting the health of petrol pump workers. Women petrol bunk workers are facing more health related issues than the male workers. They alleged sexual har
Visakhapatnam: The petrol bunk workers in and around Visakhapatnam are exposed to a high level of air pollution, along with petrol and diesel vapours. Both of these factors are affecting the health of petrol pump workers. Women petrol bunk workers are facing more health related issues than the male workers. They alleged sexual harassment.
Highlights:
- Women work at petrol bunks to support their families while some of them are bread winners
- Though they are earning meagre salaries and facing health problems, they have to work, say Bhavani and Valaralakshmi
- College students, who come to fill petrol flirt, while lorry driver sexually harass, they lament
Speaking to The Hans India, Bhavani working in an urban petrol bunk for the past three years said that she had many problems at first. Now it has become a regular affair. She is being paid Rs 9,000 monthly as salary which means 300 per day. She has to travel from Madhurwada (Rickshaw Colony) to the city. She spends Rs 50 per day for travelling from home to workplace.
She manages to run her family consisting of her mother and father despite debts. She also added that Rs 1200 being cut for ESI and PF reduces from the salary and tips from customers are not encouraged in the bunks. She also added that she was snoring in sleep due to respiratory problems.
VaraLakshmi, another pump attendant, said: “We stand for eight hours in a day continuously, even in the absence of customers. Standing continuously leads to swollen legs and feet.” Speaking about health insurance, she said that she is not awareness of it. on asking about any precautions taken by bunk owners to avoid and protecting from sniffing of fuel vapours, she simply said no.
Mayanthi, a rural petrol bunk worker, said that she had lost her mother in 2014. She had completed her Intermediate at Yelamanchili Junior College. Earlier, she used to work in a fancy store earning Rs 3,000 per month which was not sufficient to lead her family. Thereafter, she joined petrol bunk three months ago for a salary of Rs 6,000 for eight hours.
She also added that there is no wash room facility in the bunk, but due to her family’s financial condition and physically challenged father and younger brother, she has to work. She was also suffering from throat infection and burning eyes. She has had worst experiences while she was on her duty, with lorry drivers trying to touch and tease her. Sometimes she has to come out with assistance of a coworker on her way to home.
By Phani Suni
