ASHA workers across Haryana protest, press for better pay and job security
Gurugram Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) across Haryana took to the streets on Monday as part of a nationwide protest called by the All India
Gurugram Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) across Haryana took to the streets on Monday as part of a nationwide protest called by the All India Federation, demanding better wages, job security and dignified working conditions. In Faridabad and several other districts, members of the ASHA Workers Union, Haryana, submitted a memorandum to the Union Health Minister outlining their demands. Union leaders said lakhs of ASHAs had served communities round the clock and played a frontline role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite their contribution, recognised by the World Health Organization, they continue to receive meagre honorariums rather than regular salaries, leaving them vulnerable to economic insecurity and exploitation.
Criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party-led governments at the Centre and in the State, the protesters said the slogan ‘Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao’ rang hollow when women health workers continued to face poor pay and insecure employment. The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has extended support to the agitation. The union has announced a State-level protest in Panchkula on July 21. If its demands remain unmet, it will launch a ‘Jail Bharo’ agitation on August 10. At the heart of the protest is an 11-point charter of demands. The workers have sought immediate implementation of the ₹1,500 increase in incentives for ASHAs announced by the Union Government in 2025.
They have also demanded that the Health Mission be made a permanent programme, enabling ASHAs to be accorded government employee status. Other demands include uniform working conditions across the country, six months of paid maternity leave, 20 days of annual leave and free medical care for all ASHAs. The union has also sought safeguards against arbitrary termination, demanded that no worker be removed from service before becoming eligible for pension, and called for the retirement age to be fixed at 65 years. The memorandum also raised broader concerns over public health policy. It urged the government to halt the privatisation of public health infrastructure, including government hospitals, and instead strengthen the public healthcare system.
The union further demanded the repeal of the four labour codes, which it described as anti-worker, and sought the inclusion of ASHAs under the ambit of labour laws. Union leaders warned that the agitation would be intensified in the coming weeks if the demands were not addressed.
The BriefWire