Government wants us to call off strike, say ASHA workers; hunger strike from Thursday

Thiruvananthapuram: They have been agitating for the last 38 days, demanding decent pay for their arduous job. After the ministerial-level discussions held on Wednesday failed, the ASHA workers have announced that they will begin an indefinite hunger strike from Thursday. They criticised Minister Veena George for not being willing to listen to their concerns.

The discussion with Health Minister Veena George was held on Wednesday afternoon after the failure of the discussion between the State Coordinator of the NHM Mission and the ASHA workers. After announcing that they would begin the hunger strike on Thursday, the meeting with the minister took place. The ASHA workers said that during the discussions, they conveyed their personal difficulties and struggles to the minister.

“How could the government agree to the demand for a 300% increase in the honourarium raised by you people all of a sudden, that too at gunpoint?” was the reaction of the minister,” said one of the protesting ASHA workers. “The government is supportive, and we are going to meet the union health minister next week. We can discuss this further, but you need to go,” was the reaction of Veena George,” she said.

“The minister said that she was troubled by the thought of ASHA workers having to sit in the sun and rain. She called to tell us to stop the strike and go back to our homes. We asked how we could go back without even a single rupee increase or a discussion about it. The minister only kept repeating the same things about the government's fate, which we have always heard,” she said.

“Apart from what has already been said, no further discussions have taken place. Even the director of NHM was present during the meeting. The ASHA workers felt that none of our concerns were considered. It seemed that the government’s sole intention was to conduct a meeting, and nothing beyond that,” they said.

The ASHA workers said they still hope that the minister will call for another discussion and that a solution will be found.