THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ASHA workers launched an indefinite strike from Friday, intensifying their protest for better wages and benefits. The strike was announced at the ‘Maha Sangamam’ held on Thursday, where workers declared they would continue their strike until their demands are met.
The protesting ASHA workers are seeking an increase in their monthly honorarium from the current Rs 7,000 to Rs 21,000, along with retirement benefits and the clearance of pending payments.
ASHA workers alleged that the government had circulated a Google form to track their participation in the massive gathering.
“We received the form from various sources. This is nothing but an attempt to intimidate us,” said one of the protesters.
Meanwhile, the CITU reportedly collected a list of ASHA workers who attended the protest. Protesters expressed anger over the government’s decision to hike the salaries of PSC members and allocate travel allowances to Kerala’s special representative in Delhi, K V Thomas, while their demands remain unaddressed. “The government claims it has no funds for us but allocates huge sums for high-ranking officials. This is unacceptable,” said an ASHA worker.