BENGALURU: Fighting for their right to better wages and other employee benefits, workers of ASHA (accredited social health activists), Anganwadi, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and mid-day meal scheme will be launching a nationwide protest on September 24. The strike will take place under the banner of the Scheme Workers Federation of India affiliated to All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC) and other unions.
There are nearly one crore such women working under different schemes and are demanding to be recognised as full-time regular government employees. "One of their demands is their salary that should be at least Rs 21000 and inclusive of paid and casual leaves, national holidays, medical benefits. ASHA workers travel from far-off distances at their own cost. In the case of deliveries, they have to stay in the hospitals for a few days. We demand proper dormitories, restrooms, drinking water, safety and security, raincoats, winter garments and torch lights to be supplied periodically, considering the nature of their work," said Durgesh Prakash, Karnataka state executive committee member, AIUTUC.
There is a growing apprehension that implementation of NEP will slowly remove the needs of Anganwadis. The workers demand that NEP should be withdrawn and they should be given adequate training with all the new updates. They have also demanded that Anganwadis must be strengthened will well ventilation and high-quality infrastructure along with retirement benefits worth Rs five lakh. All the discriminations and deprivations carried out up to now in the name of honorarium and incentives should be dispensed immediately. Mid-day meal workers should be paid wages every month repealing the existing illegal practice of payment of ten months’ wages in a year, they said.
The scheme workers must be provided with PPE kits during Covid related surveys and in case of a death due to the virus, medical insurance coverage amounting to Rs 50 lakh must be ensured by the central government for the families of the employees.
The list of demands also includes that no scheme worker should be deprived of their monthly salary because of the covid-induced lockdown, or the COVID warriors of the assured incentives. The workers are also demanding employment on compassionate grounds for their dependants in case of death during the line of duty.
On the day of the protest, a memorandum will be submitted to the health ministers and health commissioners of the Centre and the respective states.