8 months ago
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Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), nether the banner of the Kerala ASHA Health Workers’ Association (KAHWA), volition march to the Chief Minister’s authoritative residence, Cliff House, successful Thiruvananthapuram connected October 22 successful protestation against the Chief Minister’s “total neglect and disregard” for the agitation by the women workers and his refusal to settee ASHAs’ onslaught which has completed astir 8 months.
In a connection present connected Tuesday (September 23, 2025), the KAHWA said that the ASHAs person been connected a day-and-night agitation successful beforehand of the Secretariat demanding just wages and improved work conditions, thing that the civilian nine had wholeheartedly validated arsenic fair. The main demands of ASHAs were a hike successful the honorarium and status benefits.
The connection said that ASHAs continued to gully a regular wage of ₹233 and that the assurances made by the Ministers and the Chief Minister that the State volition hike the honorarium if the Union authorities hikes incentives turned retired to beryllium a farce.
Even aft the Centre announced hikes successful incentives arsenic good arsenic status benefits, the State refused to budge and the ASHAs were asked to hold for the study and recommendations of the committee acceptable up by the authorities to survey the wage and work conditions of ASHAs.
It was connected the 53rd time of the strike, pursuing a circular of discussions with the Health Minister that a determination was taken to acceptable up the said committee. It took different period for the authorities bid announcing the mounting up of the committee. Though the Labour Minister said that the study volition beryllium retired successful a month, the committee took implicit 3 months to taxable the report.
Report not released
Though it has been a period since the committee submitted the report, the authorities has not adjacent bothered to merchandise the study and spot the recommendations of the committee earlier the public.
The KAHWA had pointed retired that a committee was not required for the authorities to hike the honorarium oregon denote status benefits for ASHAs but that a committee whitethorn beryllium acceptable up to survey different issues related to the work conditions of ASHAs. Though the authorities did not hold with this, the KAHWA had cooperated with the committee.
Charter of demands
The KAHWA participated successful each the hearings of the committee and besides submitted a memorandum with a 27-point charter of demands. Not conscionable KAHWA, each different organisations of ASHAs with governmental affiliations had participated successful the hearings and raised akin demands, a wide denotation of the legitimacy of the demands.
The onslaught by ASHAs has crossed 227 days and contempt the appeals made by assorted organisations and individuals to the Chief Minister, asking him to settee the strike, Pinarayi Vijayan has chosen to crook a deaf receptor to each the pleas
The information that a radical of women person been surviving connected the street, braving the vigor and particulate and the prima and the rainfall for the past 8 months, raising morganatic demands, does not look to fuss the Chief Minister astatine all, KAHWA said.
It pointed retired that the authorities has the work and the work to springiness copies of the committee study to each unions and to spot the recommendations of the committee earlier the public. The Chief Minister does not look to person immoderate occupation spending crores of nationalist wealth connected unnecessary luxuries oregon connected radical of his choice. Yet helium does not deliberation that ASHAs who enactment astatine the grassroots merit adjacent the minimum wages
ASHAs volition march to Cliff House connected October 22, demanding an enhanced honorarium, status benefits and urging the authorities to marque the committee study public, it said.
