Delhi anganwadi workers mark one year of strike with sit-in at Kashmiri Gate

The programme ended with a revolutionary song dedicated to the preparation for future challenges. (Express Photo)

Union president Shivani said the 2022 strike was a challenge to the department and the government.“This ‘laal inqilab of ours intimidated the Delhi and central governments and the imposition of the Haryana Essential Services Maintenance Act (HESMA) was our political victory. Our struggle continues even today, from the high court to the streets. Today is the day to celebrate and make a resolution. Through our unity and struggle, we shook the empire of capital. We’ll brace ourselves for future struggles,” she said.

The terminated anganwadi workers under Delhi State Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union also released a calendar and a video collage that included selected photographs and clips from the strike.

The women took a pledge to “review the past and brace themselves for the future”. (Express Photo)

Heeramani, a terminated anganwadi worker from Kardampuri, said the government does not care about the workers and helpers and left the women on their own.

“We did so much work during the Covid pandemic. Without masks and sanitisers, we distributed food to people, vaccinated them but all that has not been respected when we sought a hike in the honorarium,” she added.

The women who took the lead in last year’s struggle were felicitated by the union which presented them with artistic posters and calendars made of pictures. Several solidarity messages from UK-based unions, such as GMB, Communication Workers Union (CWU), National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), FDW, activists and Red Workers Front of Pakistan were read. The programme ended with a revolutionary song dedicated to the preparation for future challenges.

During last year’s strike, the protesters demanded that the honorarium for workers and helpers be increased to Rs 25,000 and Rs 20,000 respectively, and their services be regularised with retirement benefits. On February 24, the Delhi government announced that it raised the salary of anganwadi workers and helpers to Rs 12,720 and Rs 6,810 respectively. However, the protesting workers rejected the honorarium revision and said they will continue their strike outside the chief minister’s residence as the hike was “too little”.