ASHA Workers Protest in Uttarakhand

ASHA Health Workers Union affiliated to AICCTU held strong protests across Uttarakhand and submitted a 4-point charter of demands to the Prime Minister on 14 September 2018 against the treacherous and deceptive announcement by the central government after the so-called programme to meet ASHA workers. Protest rallies and dharnas were held at Nainital, Rudrapur, Pithoragarh, Ranikhet, Bhikiyasain, Lohaghat, Ramnagar, Tanakpur and other places. The demands to the Prime Minister included:

1. Provision for ASHA workers to be given the status of government employees and paid a minimum monthly salary of Rs 18,000 should be made without delay.
2. It must be ensured that ASHA workers receive daily payment and allowances for Health Card Survey and other surveys and campaigns as other field work personnel do.
3. Until the minimum monthly salary of Rs 18,000 is announced, arrears of incentive payments to ASHA workers as well as other arrears for various campaigns, vaccination drives etc must be paid without delay into their accounts.
4. ASHA homes should be constructed in all hospitals. Where ASHA homes have already been constructed they should be opened without delay for the purpose of ASHA workers’ rest.

Releasing a statement on the statewide protests the ASHA Health Workers Union said that after the so-called meeting with ASHA workers PM Modi announced that their honorarium would be doubled; but when the central government is not giving even a single rupee honorarium to ASHA workers, how can the Modi government double it? The government must stop cheating the ASHA workers with such blatant lies.

The Union said that this announcement by the Modi government is nothing but an election stunt. On the one hand the government is cutting the budget for National Health Mission funds, and on the other hand they are talking about giving honorarium. When there are no funds, where will the honorarium come from? The central government should explain. Instead of empty announcements they should declare ASHA workers as government employees and pay a monthly salary of Rs 18,000. That would be true respect and dignity rendered to ASHA workers.

The government has been continuously cheating ASHA workers. The real aim of this announcement is to garner ASHA workers’ votes in the coming Lok Sabha elections. The ASHA workers will give a befitting reply by strengthening and sharpening their struggle.

A memorandum was also submitted to the Prime Minister by the ASHA workers with the above mentioned demands.