Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in Kerala, organized under the Kerala ASHA Health Workers’ Association (KAHWA), are gearing up for a significant protest. On October 22nd, they will march to Cliff House, the Chief Minister’s official residence in Thiruvananthapuram, to voice their strong condemnation of the Chief Minister’s perceived indifference towards their nearly eight-month-long strike and his failure to address their demands.
For months, these dedicated women have maintained a continuous protest outside the Secretariat, advocating for equitable wages and better working conditions. Their core demands, including a substantial increase in their honorarium and essential retirement benefits, have garnered widespread support from the public, who recognize the fairness of their plight.
Despite their critical work, ASHAs currently earn a meager daily wage of ₹233. Promises from state ministers and the Chief Minister to increase their honorarium, contingent on the Union government raising its incentives, have proven to be hollow and unfulfilled.
Even after the central government delivered on its promise of increased incentives and retirement benefits, the state government remained inflexible. ASHAs were told to await the findings and recommendations of a government-appointed committee tasked with examining their pay and service conditions.
The decision to form this committee came after 53 days of the strike, following talks with the Health Minister. However, it took another month for the official government order to be issued. While the Labour Minister initially promised the report would be ready within a month, it eventually took the committee over three months to submit its findings.
Report Kept Under Wraps
Despite the report being submitted a month ago, the government has inexplicably failed to release it or disclose its recommendations to the public.
KAHWA had previously argued that a committee wasn’t necessary for immediate honorarium increases or retirement benefits, suggesting it would be better suited for exploring other long-term service condition issues. Although the government disagreed, KAHWA still fully cooperated with the committee’s proceedings.
The Charter of Demands
KAHWA actively participated in all committee hearings, presenting a comprehensive 27-point charter of demands. Significantly, other ASHA organizations, irrespective of their political affiliations, also presented similar demands, underscoring the universal legitimacy and urgency of these issues.
Now, after 227 days, the ASHA strike continues. Despite numerous appeals from diverse organizations and concerned citizens urging the Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, to intervene and resolve the impasse, he has remained unresponsive to their pleas.
KAHWA expressed deep concern that the Chief Minister appears unfazed by the sight of these dedicated women enduring harsh weather conditions on the streets for eight months, all while advocating for undeniably legitimate demands.
The association emphasized the government’s clear responsibility to share the committee’s report with all unions and make its recommendations public. They highlighted a stark contrast: while substantial public funds are seemingly allocated for ‘unnecessary luxuries’ and favored individuals, the Chief Minister apparently deems it acceptable to deny even minimum wages to ASHAs, who are the backbone of grassroots healthcare.
The upcoming march to Cliff House on October 22nd is a renewed call for action, with ASHAs demanding an increased honorarium, vital retirement benefits, and transparency regarding the long-awaited committee report.