THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a move to placate the protesting ASHA workers, the health department may reconsider its decision that fixed their retirement age at 62 years. Health Minister Veena George has taken a favourable view in their regard, a source said. “The government may either raise the retirement age, or freeze its order – thereby doing away with the age limit entirely for the time being,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the government is yet to accept the workers’ main demand: increasing their honorarium and retirement benefits.
The Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association (KAHWA) had raised the demand for extending retirement age in its memorandum to Labour Minister V Sivankutty during the talks with him. KAHWA state president V K Sadanandan said several states have a higher retirement age cap.
The KAHWA has also written an open letter to newly-elected CPM general secretary M A Baby to intervene. However, Baby said the issue raised by the workers comes under the Centre’s purview.
Meanwhile, socio-cultural activists are planning to hold a programme, ‘Pourasangamam’, on April 12 to express solidarity with the ASHA workers’ ongoing protest at the Secretariat.