The Right to Food campaign stands in solidarity with the ASHA workers

ASHA workers, under the banner of the Kerala ASHA Health Workers’ Association (KAHWA) have been on strike since the last two months and on hunger strike since the last three weeks. Their demands include a higher salary, retirement benefits and timely payments. The Right to Food campaign stands in solidarity with the ASHA workers’ struggle for recognition of their care labour, decent wages and benefits, regularization and social security. We urge the Government of Kerala to dialogue with the workers and come to a speedy resolution of the issue. We also urge the state government to advocate on their behalf with the central government for their regularization as employees.  

Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers across the country play a critical role in the provision of health services. Their contribution to public health and community service throughout the Covid-19 pandemic has been recognized globally. They were even awarded as the Global Health Leaders by World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2022. The work of ASHAs covers the entire range of maternal and child health issues, communicable diseases as well as non-communicable diseases. ASHA workers are not recognized as government employees and are only paid incentives on a task-basis. Although this is part of a central scheme, the contribution of the central government amounts to only about ₹2,000 per month. Given the unwillingness of the central government to enhance the remuneration and provide even the most basic modicum of dignity to these important frontline workers, state governments must step forward to provide enhanced amounts.. Many states have provided additional incentives with some also providing fixed salaries. Andhra Pradesh adds to the incentives to ensure a payment of ₹10,000 per month, Kerala state government gives ₹7,000 as a fixed amount and Telangana contributes a fixed amount of ₹6,750 per month. Even in these states, ASHAs are still not regularized and their remuneration is not commensurate with the work that they do. There is an urgent need for state and central governments to come together and improve the working conditions of ASHA workers across the country.

The Right to Food Campaign demands decent work conditions and dignified living wages in the country across all workforce with the focus of ensuring regularised job guarantee.

– On behalf of the National Conveners Aysha and Gangaram Paikra and the Right to Food Campaign.

For more information please contact Dipa Sinha ([email protected])