BENGALURU: ASHA workers from across Karnataka on Friday withdrew their indefinite strike after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced a fixed honorarium of Rs 10,000 per month, effective from April, and that the government would consider their other demands.
The CM, after a detailed discussion with health department officials and representatives of the ASHA Union, confirmed that workers will get a fixed honorarium of Rs 10,000 per month.
Additionally, workers will be granted incentives for the extra tasks they undertake as part of their duties. Another major outcome of the meeting was the provision of three months of paid leave in the event of hospitalisation due to serious illness.
Other decisions included the assurance of monthly leaves for ASHA workers and a commitment to review retirement compensation in the coming days.
The announcement was made by Health Commissioner Sivakumar KB at Freedom Park, where the ASHA workers had been sitting in protest since Tuesday.
The government also promised to increase the budget allocated for the workers and assured the members to involve the association in the pre-budget discussions for further planning.
The workers, who had been demanding better pay and working conditions for the last eight years, confirmed that they will return to work on Saturday. They highlighted that this represents a significant step forward in recognising their contributions to the healthcare system.