AIKS Salutes the Brave Struggle of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers

AIKS Salutes the Brave Struggle of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers
Stop Repression on Scheme Workers in Haryana

22nd February, 2022

All India Kisan Sabha salutes the thousands of anganwadi workers & helpers who have been on strike for the last 76 days in Haryana. More than forty thousand anganwadi workers and helpers under the banner of Joint Coordination Committee of Unions have been on strike since 8th December, 2022 seeking implementation of the wage hike by the central government withheld by the state government and the assurance on annual increase in wages and recognition as workers made by the Chief Minister in the Assembly in 2018. The BJP Government led by Manoharlal Khattar has unleashed a malicious propaganda and is seeking to put-down the strike by using the repressive police machinery, filing false cases against workers, arresting leaders and large scale retrenchment. The protest by ASHA workers was also dealt with in the same manner by invoking the draconian ESMA. AIKS condemns the insensitive BJP Government and demands that the issues raised by the workers be resolved democratically by holding talks with their representatives.

AIKS is firmly of the opinion that the Scheme Workers first and foremost must be recognised as workers and provided minimum wages as well as all other benefits due to them as per labour laws. The workers are justified in demanding status of government employees and an increase in minimum honorarium to 24000/- for worker and 16000/- for helper in the interim period. Other demands of the struggle are for ensuring at least 50 percent of the supervisors be drawn from the workers through promotion, TA and DA when called for departmental training, full cost of treatment in case of accident and compensation on death etc. These are the basic rights due to workers.

The Scheme Workers are providing great service of nutrition and healthcare as frontline workers during the COVID pandemic. The centre and state governments were calling upon the nation to honour and show gratitude towards them; but now when they are demanding for their rights, the same governments are unleashing repression on them. Despite their laborious work and risks involved under the pandemic, they are denied even the minimum wages. Majority of the workers are women from rural background coming from peasant households. Price-rise, poverty, malnutrition in addition to different kinds of exploitation they face has made lives difficult for them. Instead of mitigating their suffering the BJP Government is exploiting the workers. The BJP government at the centre has been continuously cutting down the budget allocations for these crucial schemes and is resorting to privatisation, which is also being fought by the workers.

The Anganwadi Workers and Helpers as well as other Scheme Workers have been a big source of support during the historic Kisan struggle at Delhis borders and in States. Their solidarity and active participation in the struggle shoulder to shoulder with the peasants and workers in no small measure led to the victory of the struggle. AIKS calls upon all its units to rise up in support and actively participate in their struggles.

Sd/- Sd/-
Ashok Dhawale Hannan Mollah
President General Secretary