ASHA workers continue to boycott work

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 4

The two-day strike by ASHA Workers and Facilitators’ Union to demand an increase in their wages under the Minimum Wages Act and to comply with their other departmental demands continued for the second day on Saturday.

Apart from fake announcements, the govt neither has time nor policy for ASHA workers, facilitators and other health workers. On the one hand we are declared Covid warriors and on the other, the government is choosing to ignore us by not giving due rights to those who fought on the frontline during the pandemic. Paramjit Kaur Mann, Union leader

On the second day of the strike, ASHA workers and facilitators boycotted all their duties and protested against the Punjab Government by staging dharnas at various basic community health centres, including Manawala, Baba Bakala, Tarsikka, Lopoke, Verka and Ramdas.

Union leaders Paramjit Kaur Mann said the Congress government led by Charanjit Singh Channi was in a dilemma. “Apart from fake announcements, they have neither time nor policy for ASHA workers, facilitators and other health workers on ground. As a result, ASHA workers and facilitators across Punjab have gone on strike for two days. We will also participate in numbers at the rally announced on December 5 in Jalandhar.”

She said if the Punjab Government was evading the implementation of minimum wage, then on what basis would the private sector legislate the minimum wage? “On one hand we are declared as Covid warriors and on the other, the government is choosing to ignore us by not giving due rights to these warriors who fought on the frontline during the pandemic,” said Mann.