Protest for ASHA Workers’ Rights in Uttarakhand

Utarakhand ASHA Health Workers Union, affiliated to AICCTU organized a Protest Day on 3 July 2020 in response to the central trade unions’ nationwide call, and raised the issues of ASHA health workers. The protests were held at Haldwani, Nainital, Garampani, Betalghat, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Berinag, Gangolihat, Thal, Didihat, Kanalichhina, Munakot, Bajpur, Kashipur, badrkot, Almora, Syaldeh, Bhikiyasain, Ranikhet, Tadikhet, Dwarahat, Bageshwar, Kapkot and other places. Among the demands raised was the withdrawal of orders issued to remove 264 ASHA workers in Champawat District.

ASHA Health Workers Union office-bearers said that ASHAs were appointed for reducing the mother-infant mortality rate but they are being burdened with all other kinds of extra work without payment. ASHAs discharged their role as Corona Lockdown frontline workers with full responsibility, even putting their lives on the line, but they have been given no allowance for this. ASHAs have a right to Lockdown allowance. Instead of considering this sympathetically, ASHAs who raise their voice for rightful demands are being victimized and threatened with action. The Champawat District administration has issued orders for removing 264 ASHA workers. A list of ASHAs asking for their due payment is being prepared at Udhamsingh Nagar and other Districts as well. This is sheer injustice. Such provocative action against ASHAs must be stopped. ASHAs are asking only for payment due to the work they have done. If repressive action is taken against them ASHAs across the State will unite and fight for justice. If even a single ASHA is removed, the Union will be constrained to organize a fierce agitation.

ASHA workers have always discharged the duties laid upon them by the Health Department with full dedication and commitment. Even in the time of Corona Lockdown, they have done all the work even at risk to their own lives. But how long cam they keep working without honorarium, without Lockdown Allowance, and without getting government employee status?

The Uttarakhand ASHA Health Workers Union held dharna protests at various places across the State and sent a 9-point memorandum to the Chief Minister with the following demands: revoke the ordr issued to remove 264 ASHAs in Champawat District and stop such lists of ASHAs being prepared in Udhamsingh Nagar and other Districts; government employee status  and Rs 18000 minimum salary for ASHAs; Rs 10000 monthly Lockdown Allowance for ASHAs during the Corona period; immediately withdraw the decision to make ASHAs do surveillance duty without any allowance; pay arrears of monthly incentive and other amounts without delay to ASHAs; until ASHAs are given government employee status and monthly salary, their monthly honorarium should be fixed like other scheme workers; pension for ASHAs after retirement; make regulations for safety of ASHAs in case of accidents, heart attack or other illnesses and make provision for a minimum of Rs 10 lakhs as compensation.

The ASHA Union warned that if action is not taken to meet these demands, the Union will be constrained to organize an indefinite boycott, for which the neglect of ASHA workers by the government and the administration will be entirely responsible.

Uttarakhand ASHA Health Workers Union followed the countrywide protest with a statewide protest on 6 July 2020 and submitted a 6-point memorandum to the Chief Minister and Health Minister demanding reinstatement of the ASHAs removed in Champawat and an end to the oppression against ASHAs. Other ASHA Unions also participated in the statewide protests.

Speaking on the occasion State General Secretary Dr Kailash Pandey said that the action against ASHA workers raising their legitimate demands is an example of grave oppression against women’s labor. The Champawat CMO has issued an order for the removal of 264 ASHA workers and ASHAs are being intimidated in Udhamsingh Nagar District also. This is absolutely unacceptable and an affront to the dignity of ASHAs who are frontline Corona warriors. They risk their lives when they do duty at quarantine centers and prepare lists of Corona patients, but instead of bringing a provision for dignified wages for them, this act of threatening them and removing them gfrom work is extremely shameful.

ASHA Health Workers Union City President Rinki Joshi said that instead of giving ASHAs an allowance for the risky work they are doing in these Corona times, workers who are asking for fair wages are being removed. Preeti Rawat said that ASHAs were appointed for reducing mother-infant mortality rate but they are being made to do all kinds of extra work without due payment.

The following demands were made through the protest at the Women’s Hospital: reinstate immediately the ASHA workers removed from work in Champawat; Rs 10000 monthly Lockdown Allowance for ASHAs during the Corona period; state government employee status and Rs 18000 minimum salary for ASHAs and until this is done, their monthly honorarium should be fixed like other scheme workers; pensions for ASHAs after retirement; make rules to give security to ASHAs in case of accidents while on duty, or heart attack or other illnesses and provision for a minimum compensation of Rs 10 lakhs.

The Union warned that if the above demands are not acted upon without delay we will be constrained to join with other ASHA Unions and organize a fierce the struggle for which the State government and administration that are oppressing ASHA workers will be responsible.

Participating in the protests were ASHA workers in large numbers including Rinki Joshi, Preeti Rawat, Bhagwati Bisht, Kamla Arya, Manju Rawat, Champa Mehra, Salma, Ganga Arya, Deepa Arya, Poonam Bora, Savitri Adhikari, Poonam Arya, Bina Upadhyay, Hema Durgapal, Rekha Arya, Meena Sharma, Chandrakala, Reshma, Shiv Kumari, Anjana, Qamarunnisa, Alma and others.

Under pressure of protests, now the Uttarakhand government has backtracked on its earlier stand saying that it has not removed any of the ASHAs in Champawat district, still the ASHA Union is waiting to see the actual implications of this statement.

Reinstatement of 264 ASHAs Huge Victory for ASHA Workers’ Struggle

“The reinstatement of the 264 ASHA workers by the Champawat District CMO is a victory for the workers’ struggle”. This was stated by Uttarakhand ASHA Health Workers Union (affiliated to AICCTU) State General Secretary Dr Kailash Pandey on 8 July 2020. It should be noted that 264 ASHA workers in Champawat were removed from work because they had asked for due wages for their work, after which ASHA workers waged a statewide struggle through protests.

Dr Pandey said that the order to reinstate the ASHA workers has been issued under pressure from the statewide ASHA protests. ASHA workers deserve to be congratulated for their unity and spirited struggle. He further said that now the government should without delay announce Rs 10000 Lockdown Allowance for ASHAs, who are frontline Corona warriors, and also announce monthly salary for ASHAs who are working without salary.

Dr Pandey said that ASHAs have never refused to do whatever work was enjoined upon them by the Health Department, whether in normal times or in this Corona pandemic time. They are only asking for due wages for their work, which the government does not want to give them. The question is, how long will ASHAs continue to work like bonded labor without wages? The government must answer this question.

Dr Pandey demanded that until ASHAs are given a monthly salary, they should be given a monthly honorarium like other scheme workers. Rs 10000 Lockdown Allowance should be put into their accounts within 15 days, failing which ASHA workers will be constrained to launch an intensified struggle.