ASHA Workers in Bihar Prepares for an Indefinite Strike
The Bihar Rajya ASHA Karyakarta Sangh (affiliated to AICCTU and Maha sangh (Gope Gut) and ASHA Sangharsh Samiti (affiliated to CITU), jointly under the banner of ASHA Samyukt Sangharsh Manch, have declared indefinite strike of ASHA workers in Bihar from 17th February 2022.
Shashi Yadav (AICCTU) and Vishwanath Singh (CITU), leaders of two major unions, declared strike on 18th January 2022 in Patna. They say that workers are preparing to go on strike against constant denial of their rights and non-fulfillment of demands by the state government as agreed earlier with ASHA workers. The ASHA workers are working relentlessly even during the third wave, but their rights are being constantly denied.
ASHA workers are demanding that the term ‘incentive’ meant for payment to ASHA workers must be changed to ‘wages’ or at least, to ‘honorarium’ in terms of its name as well as its content. They are also demanding that monthly wages/honorarium should be increased to ten thousand rupees from the present one thousand rupees. ASHAs have still not been paid their dues since 2019 and they are demanding immediate payment of the same. Another major demand is the payment of ten thousand rupees as corona allowance to ASHAs and facilitators. The Bihar state government has still not fulfilled 10 demands that they agreed through an agreement with ASHA workers in 2019. This issue is also being raised by the ASHA workers through their strike.
The ASHA unions called it as a ‘betrayal’ by the JDU-BJP led Bihar state government. The ASHA workers of Bihar are being made to work without payment. They are playing a very crucial role in fighting the corona pandemic. They are risking their lives by being on duty when the infection is at its peak. Yet, the government is denying to treat them with dignity and pay them their due wages. The ASHA workers are also determined to observe the national call for Strike by the central trade unions on 23rd and 24th February 2022 with full vigour.