Hyderabad: Anganwadi, ASHA workers demand social security

Hyderabad: All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) national secretary Dr B V Vijayalakshmi on Sunday claimed that both the Central and State governments are 'exploiting' the Anganwadi helpers, lunch scheme cooks, ASHA workers and others who are implementing various government schemes across the country.

She said nearly one crore scheme workers across the country have been taking the burden of implementing several important Central schemes on health and education. But both the Central and the State governments were 'ruthlessly' refusing to provide social security, such as ESI, she lamented.

The Telangana State Anganwadi Workers & Helpers' Association and AITUC jointly organised a conference of scheme workers on Sunday.

Vijayalakshmi said the Centre and the State government were ignoring the demands of the scheme workers to be recognised as government employees. Although the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised the Indian hope workers as global health leaders, she questioned why the Centre does not do so.

She demanded that as a part of the implementation of the Right to Food and Education, EPF, ESI and social security should be provided, along with a minimum wage of Rs 21,000 and a pension of Rs 10,000 a month to scheme workers who provide most needed services across the country.