The Forward March of ASHA Workers of Uttar Pradesh

The ASHA workers of Uttar Pradesh are in a continuous struggle for their rights under the leadership of the Uttar Pradesh ASHA Workers Union (affiliated to AICCTU) since the all India strike by scheme workers in September, 2021. The organisation has spread far and wide, across the state, since then.

The first challenge for the organisation was to face the NGOs (Non Governmental Organisations receiving funds from various sources including foreign sources) which have been working among ASHA workers in the name of ÒwelfareÓ. These NGOs have been working in tandem with the government, health officials and NHMs (National Health Mission). The relation between government institutions and these NGOs have been that of mutual benefits. These NGOs have never raised the issue of rights of ASHA workers.

The AICCTU took up the task of raising issues of rights of the ASHA workers and seriously questioned the exploitative terms of considering ASHA workers as volunteers and not workers. We started by preparing a Charter of Demand (CoD) of ASHA workers. The ASHA workers of UP held state level demonstrations on 13th December, 2021, which was followed by mass post card campaign to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. The campaign was named as ‘Yogi ko mail bhejo’ or ‘Send mail to Yogi’. ASHA workers took out marches in different parts of the state raising their demands and posted the postcards addressed to the CM.

The state government was forced to declare a small rise in the honorarium of ASHA workers in the meantime. The NHMs were forced to issue circular declaring allowance for covid months for the last 2 years. But this allowance was declared at a rate of Rs 500 per month instead of the last declared Rs 1000 per month. The CM in the meantime gave false information inside the assembly about the allowance being given to the ASHA workers. The ASHA workers union immediately held state level demonstration on 4th January, 2022 exposing the lies of the CM.

The AICCTU has been consistently organising the ASHA workers on the demands of recognition of ASHA workers as health workers, ensuring legal minimum wages and maternity leave, guaranteeing health insurance of 10 lakh rupees and a life insurance of 50 lakh rupees for each ASHA workers and also demanded fixed work hours.

The assembly elections for Uttar Pradesh have already been declared. The union of ASHA workers have decided to reach each ASHA worker of the state with the said Charter of Demands. The all India workers strike on 23rd and 24th February will be observed by the ASHA workers of UP with full spirit.