Kerala ASHAs grudgingly welcome honorarium hike of ₹1,000; to continue with strike

The Kerala Cabinet’s decision to increase the monthly remuneration for Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) by ₹1,000 was received reluctantly by the Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association (KAHWA), which led a strike by a section of ASHAs in front of the Secretariat demanding better pay.

However, KAHWA leaders said here that the wage increase, which came on the 263rd day of the ASHAs’ strike, was insufficient for the ASHAs to end the strike.

The ASHAs have demanded that they be paid at least ₹700, the state’s minimum daily wage for government employees, KAHWA said in a statement here. He said that by announcing a paltry hike of ₹33 per day, the government was actually heaping more insults on ASHAs.

KAHWA’s main demand is to make the monthly wage for ASHAs ₹ 21,000 and give them retirement benefits along with a one-time retirement benefit of ₹ 5 lakh.

All 26,125 ASHAs in the state will benefit from the enhanced fee, which has now been increased from ₹7,000 to ₹8,000 per month.

KAHWA also protested that the government did not even mention retirement benefits, one of the main demands of ASHAs.

He decided to continue his ongoing strike in front of the Secretariat “with renewed vigor”. KAHWA leaders said KAHWA’s State committee will meet again soon to decide on the next form of protest.