Hyderabad: Several ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activists) workers staged a protest in front of the office of the commissioner of the medical and health department at Koti, Hyderabad, on Monday, September 1, demanding fixed monthly salaries.
ASHA workers across the state have been holding protests for a year now, demanding a fixed salary of Rs 18,000.
The protestors threatened to deter the state and central government-sponsored healthcare initiatives in Telangana.
“The state government is slashing incentives under the pretext that we are not meeting targets. The health department is adopting a policy of dismissing ASHA workers in case of missed targets. The government must fix a salary of Rs 18,000,” said Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) city secretary P Jayalakshmi.
The protestors accused the government of failing to fulfil its pre-election guarantee to introduce a fixed wage along with benefits such as Provident Fund and Employees’ State Insurance.
Issues such as the use of GPS tracking systems, excessive workload with unrealistic targets, delays in pending payments, job security, retirement benefits, and paid leaves on Sundays and national holidays are other demands.
Previously, ASHA workers demonstrated in March this year, where several of them were detained and put under house arrest. They are affiliated with the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU).
