Will continue protest until GR to raise our salaries is issued: ASHA workers

In November 2023, days after the workers had launched a state-wide protest, the state government announced it would implement the salary increase demanded by workers — ₹7,000 for ASHA workers and ₹10,000 for block invigilators.

Three months on, their demands remained unfilled, stirring community health workers from across the state to launch an indefinite dharna from Thane since February 9. At Thane, which is also Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s bastion, he met the workers for 20 minutes and assured them their concerns will be taken up at the upcoming state cabinet meeting.

As their concerns remained unfulfilled, thousands of ASHA workers arrived at Azad Maidan — after protesting outside the Thane collector’s office for two days — where they now stage an indefinite protest until their demands for the GR are met.

Manisha , an ASHA worker since 2009 from Sangli, told Express “Three months ago, we were promised an increased salary of Rs 5,000 while gatpravartaks (block invigilators) were told that they will be given Rs. 7,000. However, they have not even issued the GR till now. We will not move from here until the GR is issued.”

“I have come for this protest and I’m staying away from my family including my two-year-old son because this is a very important matter. We are asked to work anytime of the day and have to be available 24 hours a day,” added Manisha.

To help outstation protesters like Manisha who have been sustaining on food from nearby eateries, Mumbai-based ASHA workers, who have also joined the protests, cook extra meals and ferry home cooked food for fellow protesters.

Kavita Kolekar, an ASHA worker from Govandi said, “For the past three months, I have only received Rs 1,650 as salary. During Covid, we were told that we will be made BMC workers. But now, we are not even getting a complete salary. Our earnings depend on our tasks. For example, we will get a salary only if a baby is completely immunised. But how is that fair? What if somebody does not avail our service at the last moment? All our work until then goes in vain as we don’t get paid.”

A role first established in 2005, ASHA workers are volunteers from within the community who are trained to provide information and aid people in accessing benefits of various healthcare schemes of the government. They act as a bridge connecting marginalised communities with facilities such as primary health centres, sub-centres and district hospitals.