ASHA workers beat utensils to highlight government’s apathy

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 21

Alleging ‘non-fulfillment’ of demands, ASHA workers today staged a protest at Ludhiana Civil Hospital. The protesters beat utensils and demanded regularisation their jobs and fixing of their monthly salary.

The protesters claimed that amid the Covid-19 crisis, ASHA workers are performing their duty along with conducting a door-to-door survey, but are getting low incentives for the work.

ASHA workers were among the lowest paid workers in the state. We work at odd hours risking our lives amid the pandemic. The government should resolve our issues as soon as possible. — An ASHA worker

Rajveer Kaur, president, ASHA Workers’ Union, said, “All ASHA workers should be regularised and their attendance must be ensured. The government should adopt the pattern followed by Haryana to pay the ASHA workers. We should be paid fixed salary and incentives. If the government can’t follow the same pattern here, we should be paid at least Rs18,000 per month fixed salary. Besides, we want that all workers should also be given smartphones at the earliest.”

She said, “Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, we are conducting door-to-door survey to collect data of patients above the age of 30 suffering from diabetes, hypertension, cancer and other diseases. The government should also provide smartphones to all ASHA workers to conduct the survey. Besides, we do our routine jobs. We take the pregnant women to hospital for delivery and children to health centers for vaccination. But, we get very low incentives for all these tasks.”

She added, “The successive governments have failed to hear our voice in the past 15 years. The Congress promised regularisation of our jobs but nothing has been done. The Health Minister should give us time for a meeting. We want that our demands should be fulfilled at the earliest otherwise we would intensify our stir.”

“ASHA workers were among the lowest paid workers in the state. We work at odd hours risking our lives amid the pandemic. The government should resolve our issues as soon as possible”, said an ASHA worker.

Demand regular jobs

• ASHA workers claimed that amid the Covid-19 crisis, they have been performing their duty aprt from conducting a door-to-door survey, but are getting low incentives for their services.
• Rajveer Kaur, president, ASHA Workers’ Union, said: “All ASHA workers should be put on regular jobs and their attendance must be ensured. The government should adopt the pattern followed by Haryana to pay the workers. We should be paid fixed salaries and incentives. If the government can’t follow the same pattern here, we should be paid at least Rs18,000 per month salary. Besides, we want that all workers should be given smartphones at the earliest.”