ASHA workers stage agitation for minimum wages, other facilities

Vijayawada: Hundreds of ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers under the aegis of AP ASHA workers union affiliated to CITU staged dharna at Dharna Chowk here on Monday and demanded solution to the long-pending problems. T Haveli Kumari presided over the dharna programme

Addressing the gathering, State secretary of ASHA workers union Dhanalakshmi said that ASHA workers who had been extending health services to the poor across the State must be treated as government employees and they should be provided facilities like government employees.

The workers should be paid minimum wages and they should not be asked to perform duties which they are not intended. It is sad that the workers who work till the age of 60 are simply asked to go home without any retirement benefits. The retirement GO of 62 years should be made applicable to the ASHA workers also.

Dhanalakshmi demanded implementation of group insurance scheme for the benefit of ASHA workers who died in accidents or due to ill health. She also demanded the community health workers of the Agency areas should be converted into ASHA workers.

She recalled that during the discussions held with the state government on February 9, 2024, the government had agreed to provide medical leave, maternity leave, casual leave, retirement benefits of Rs 60,000. Rs 20,000 as funeral expenses in case of sudden death, superannuation age will be 62.

The government had also agreed to pay Rs 2 lakh for natural death, Rs 6 lakh in case of accidental death, quality mobile phones and 4G sims. They had even provided minutes copy in writing to that effect. However, nine months after the agreement, the officials did not release the GO so far.

District general secretary A Kamala demanded filling of vacant posts by the government taking up the recruitment avoiding political interference.

She said that workers are denied provident fund, ESI, gratuity, pension and other facilities. However, there deprived of welfare schemes and stopping widow and lone woman pensions on the pretext that they are getting Rs 10,000 salary. She demanded immediate release of GOs and warned that they would launch an agitation.

CITU district president A Venkateswara Rao, leaders M Someswara Rao, K Durga Rao, EV Narayana, G Venkatrao, K Gopal, V Yesobu, P Srilakshmi, E Durgalakshmi,G Nageswari, E Kamala, N Nagamani and others participated.