Asha workers hold show of strength

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 19

ASHA workers today held a show of strength at the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, over their long pending demands. They said they would ask political leaders visiting them for votes to give in writing about granting them regular jobs.

The ASHA workers and ASHA facilitators had protested under banner of Democratic Employees Federation Punjab for long time and till the imposition of model code of conduct for 2017 elections. Their demands include minimum monthly wages of Rs 15,000 to be included for ASHA facilitators while the implementation of minimum wages for ASHA workers that should also cover the EPF, EIS, gratuity and pension.

Leader of the union Amarjit Kaur said, “There are more than 48,000 ASHA workers across Punjab and over 1,200 in Bathinda district alone. For long time, we have demanded the monthly salary and incentives like those given to ASHA workers in Haryana, Rajasthan and Kerala. There is no salary of ASHA workers whereas we do a lot of work and handle almost all delivery cases. We have now decided to get in writing from leaders who will visit us seeking votes. We will vote for only those who will assure us our jobs.”