Mid-day Meal Workers Union demands hike in wages

The Mid-Day Meal Workers Union, Punjab, held a district-level meeting at Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh, Bhikhiwind, where workers reiterated their current demands and warned that if their issues were not addressed, the Union would be left with no choice but to intensify its struggle.

Mid-day meal workers from different parts of the district participated in the meeting, which was held under the leadership of Charanjit Kaur, district president of the ASHA Workers Union. Addressing the gathering, Charanjit Kaur, along with Ranjit Kaur, district secretary of the Istri Mulazam Talmel Committee, said the current honorarium of Rs 3,000 per month being paid to mid-day meal workers was meagre. They demanded that it be increased to Rs 10,000 per month.

The leaders also called for two sets of uniforms per year, Rs 5 lakh in free life insurance coverage for each worker, increased compensation for additional work and other benefits. They warned that if their demands were not met, the Union would stage a protest on June 15 at Gandhi Municipal Park in Tarn Taran.

Other leaders, including Paramjit Kaur, Balwinder Kaur and Ninder Kaur, also addressed the gathering and strongly emphasised the workers’ demands. The workers raised slogans to voice their demands during the event.