102 JAAP BROEKEMA
The organisation is frequently organising meetings to discuss problems presented by
the contractors It also acts as the official body representing the contractors in meetings
with MCH staff or the (special) Commissioner. All the contractors demonstrate satis-
faction about the functioning of the organisation. They see the association as an
important tool to appeal against harmful MCH policies, since individual claims make
no sense.
Problems encountered by contractors
Although the terms of reference of the unit system are described in detail, it still
remains to be seen if the initial perceptions among the contractors accord with their
actual experiences. Earlier on the problems faced during the start were examined.
Obviously, it is equally important to map the structural problems the contractors are
faced with in the execution of their job. Successively, the major problems during the
work, the unexpected tasks and the unexpected costs will be discussed.
Almost half (46 percent) of the interviewed contractors stated that they did not expe-
rience specific problems during their work. Among the remaining group problems
related to poor infrastructure (especially overflowing of drains) and lack of co-opera-
tion from the residents were raised most frequently. A problem that deserves to be
mentioned explicitly concerns working in nightshifts and the risks related to that. One
contractor – the only one who is carrying out nightshifts – pointed at the problems
female labourers face while working at night. Often (drunk) men trouble these
labourers Furthermore, experiences have shown that there is a high risk that these
labourers become subject to traffic accidents. Besides, employment of female
labourers in the night-time is at odds with the 1970 Contract Labour Regulation and
Abolition Act.
Most contractors (85 percent) were faced with one or more unexpected costs. The
most frequently cited additional expenditures came from the removal of debris, the
breakdown (or accident) of the truck, sickness of labourers, cleaning of drains, peak
periods of waste production, and extra efforts to redress malpractice by the former
contractor. Some of these additional costs or tasks stemmed from MCH directives, i.e.
removal of debris and cleaning of drains. Both types of tasks are not part of contractual
requirements, but contractors feel obliged to satisfy these requests even though they
are not or only partially compensated by the MCH. Occasionally there is mention of
pressure being exercised on contractors to carry out informal tasks, for instance
cleansing works in the compounds of local leaders
An interesting aspect concerns the participation in all kinds of special state
programmes, such as clean-up campaigns. In Hyderabad once every two months a
special, thematic day is organised on which both labourers of the MCH and the