Thiruvananthapuram: Congress leaders V D Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala on Monday demanded that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan intervene in the ASHA workers’ protests, which have been ongoing in front of the Secretariat for the last 36 days.
The Kerala ASHA Workers’ Association (KAHWA) launched a sit-in protest outside the state secretariat on February 10, demanding the release of pending payments, an increase in the monthly honorarium from Rs 7,000 to Rs 21,000, and retirement benefits of Rs 5 lakh. The protesters also renewed their long-standing demand to recognise ASHA workers as regular government employees.
Leader of Opposition Satheesan urged the CM to find a solution to the issue and end their protests immediately. “They are the frontline warriors in our health sector. They can’t be defeated by ignoring, insulting, and threatening. The Chief Minister should intervene urgently to resolve the problem,” he said in a post on X.
Senior leader and Harippad MLA Chennithala also echoed his stance and criticised the CM for ignoring the worker’s demands. “These are workers, Chief Minister. Why don’t you, who prides yourself as the leader of a working-class party, lift a finger for them? Why are these poor women worthless in your eyes,” he asked in a post on X.
He also said that the ASHA workers are receiving a meagre wage of Rs 232, which is not enough to support a family in Kerala. “Please put aside your pride and evil arrogance, call these poor women together, understand the issues, discuss them, accept their demands, and end this strike”, he said.
The government on Monday issued an order withdrawing the 10 guidelines previously required for receiving honorarium payments. The ASHA workers had complained that the complex guidelines resulted in them receiving only a meagre honorarium. The workers said the government’s decision marks a victory for their strike.
Meanwhile, the ASHA workers have decided to launch an indefinite hunger strike starting Thursday, marking the third phase of their agitation. Although the government eased the conditions attached to their honorarium, many of their demands have yet to be addressed.