The New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI) congratulates the Maharashtra ASHA and Gat Pravandak Action Committee, including the NTUI’s affiliate and its members, on their successful strike action in the midst of the pandemic to ensure a wage increase and safety of our country’s first responder health workers.
ASHA workers and their supervisors have been at the helm of the government’s response to the covid 19 pandemic starting from identifying cases within a community, checking its spread, building awareness on the precautions as well as on the vaccine after it was introduced. Across the country, a number of ASHA workers and their supervisors have been affected by the deadly virus and many have even succumbed to it.
Not recognised as workers by the government and not even paid the minimum wage they have borne the brunt of the pandemic the most. Given their responsibility to monitor community health, they have been most exposed to the virus and yet the most unprotected. The Health Department has taken no responsibility for their safety and has not even extended the monetary compensation on death that the government announced for frontline workers to the ASHA workers.
Under these circumstances with Maharashtra being be one of the worst affected states in the pandemic, the 70,000+ ASHA workers and their supervisors had been left with no alternative but to go on an indefinite strike to get the government to recognise their contribution to the health system which is rooted on the backs of the ASHA workers. Despite the initial reluctance of the government to negotiate with the Joint Action Committee of the unions of ASHA workers of the state, the government was finally forced to relent and accept the key demands of a pay hike as a result of the determined and united ten day strike action. The pay before the strike was Rs. 4000 per month.
As per the agreement, ASHA workers in the state of Maharashtra will get an monthly increment of Rs 1500 and the Supervisors, an increment of Rs 1700 per month effective from 1 July 2021. The same increment will come into effect again next year. In addition, both ASHA workers and their supervisors would be paid a fixed Rs 500 covid allowance per month plus a Rs 200 daily allowance for vaccination campaigns. And, ASHA workers shall be trained and given the opportunity to become ANMs and GNMs at the health centres.
The government of Maharashtra also agreed to provide a separate resting place at district hospitals for ASHA workers who take Covid patients to these hospitals to ensure their safety. Along with this, the government agreed to provide free healthcare to ASHA workers and their families at government hospitals. And finally, the government shall also take immediate measures to initiate a health insurance scheme for ASHA workers of upto Rs 50 lakh.
Further, the government agreed to constitute a committee that will study the working conditions of the ASHA workers. This committee shall also have representatives from the Joint Action Committee. This is a step forward towards understanding and recognising the nature and value of the work that is done by the ASHA workers within the public health system.
Health is a subject on the concurrent list of our constitution and hence states often have to take the responsibility that the union government refuses to accept. This is such a case. The National Health Mission is a flagship programme of the Government of India and by this logic, ASHA workers and their supervisors and ANMs, GNMs etc are all under the direction of the Ministry of Health, Government of India. Their conditions of work, their responsibilities are all determined by the union government but when it comes to allocation of resources for their wages and recognition of their contribution in keeping the public health system functioning, the centre refuses to accept responsibility. However, state governments do not have this luxury and hence have no choice but to pay for the demands of the workers who are serve people.
The state of Maharashtra has around 71,867 ASHA workers that include 3,570 supervisors and this hike in wage will bring an additional expenditure of Rupees 202 crore from the state exchequer which should in reality come from the union government.
When it comes to taking the credit for the tireless work by the frontline workers, the Narendra Modi government is never shy but when it comes to paying for them, all they get are lighted lamps and clanging utensils.
Modi government take responsibility!
Modi government pay up!
Fortline Workers’ Fight is Our Fight.
Workers’ Unity Zindabad!
Gautam Mody
General Secretary