Press Release – Successful all India Strike of Scheme Workers on 24 September 2021

Press Release

24 September 2021

Joint Platform of Scheme Workers Federations Congratulates the Scheme Workers throughout the country for the magnificent show of strength in the successful all India Strike on 24 September 2021

Express gratitude to the CTUs, SKM various women's organizations and other section of the people for their wholehearted solidarity and support to the strike

Warns the Government of much more intensified struggles including mass mobilizations and multiple days strike in case the demands are not met

Joint Platform of Scheme Workers Federations Congratulates the Scheme Workers throughout the country for the magnificent show of strength in the successful all India Strike today, 24 September 2021. Lakhs of 'Scheme Workers' mainly the Anganwadi, ASHA and Mid Day Meal workers strike work and held demonstrations, dharnas, rallies etc at district/block centres throughout the country. In spite of repressions and efforts to sabotage the strike and mobilizations, strike was successful in almost all the states including Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir. Reports and photos of the strike are pouring in from various places shows that from remote villages to metro cities the strike was successful and massive mobilization took place throughout the country.

The strike call is given by the Joint platform of Scheme Workers consisting of the organizations of scheme workers affiliated to the central trade unions - INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC. The strike was more unified and was participated by wider sections of the scheme workers this year comparing to earlier struggles despite the adverse covid situation in many parts of the country. This year there was much more coordination between various sectors of scheme works as well as among various trade unions.

The demands of the strike include immediate demands of safety at work, risk allowance and insurance cover during covid duty and long pending demands of regularization as workers, minimum wages, social security and pension and against privatization. The unions have submitted memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister of India in at all centres. (A copy attached).The unions have also raised issues of basic rights of the people for health and nutrition and adequate budget allocations to ensure this. The strike has seen wide support from various sections of the people.

The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions as well as the Samyukta Kisan Morcha had extended solidarity and support to the strike. In many places the leaders and cadres of these organizations participated in the rallies and demonstrations. Various women's organizations also had extended support to the strike.

We express sincere gratitude to the CTUs, SKM and various women's organizations and other section of the people for their wholehearted solidarity and support.

We warn the Government of much more intensified struggles including mass mobilizations and multiple days strike in case the demands are not immediately met.

We call upon the scheme workers and their unions to be prepared for heightened struggles against the anti people, anti worker government and its policies to dismantle the schemes and exploit the workers.

Issued by

A R Sindhu

For Joint Platform of Scheme Workers Federations

INTUC AITUC HMS CITU

AIUTUC TUCC AICCTU LPF UTUC

24 September 2021

To

Shri Narendra Modi

Honourable Prime Minister

Government of India

Sub:- All India Strike of Scheme Workers on 24 September 2021 for Safety Gear, Risk allowance and Death Compensation during the pandemic Regularisation, Minimum Wages, Social Security and Pension to frontline Scheme Workers

Respected Sir,The country is facing one of the biggest challenges since independence- the Covid -19 pandemic and the job and income loss of a large section of the working people. The second wave had revealed the major weaknesses in the health system especially the public health system of our country. One can recall the total collapse of the health system of our country and the loss of thousands of valuable lives only with shock and grief. The still continuing second wave related health crisis and the possible third wave had revealed the urgent need of proper scientific planning and preparation to massive time bound free vaccination drive, improve the public health infrastructure, training and recruitment of health personnel etc. In addition to this, the large scale loss of jobs and livelihood due to the lockdown and economic slowdown and the resultant malnutrition and poverty looming large in the country is another major issue.

The governments' efforts to address the health crisis and malnutrition are totally depended on the dedicated public sector health workers and frontline workers. A major section of these frontline workers who are the link between the government and the people are the scheme workers. 10 lakh ASHA workers and facilitators are performing round the clock duty, without leave; they are asked to go door to door to conduct surveys, reporting the cases, getting tests done, getting medical help to the infected, monitoring the patients, follow up with the recovered ones and so on. These are in addition to the vaccination duties for almost 8-9 hours a day. Nearly 26 lakh anganwadi workers and helpers under ICDS who are also performing similar duties along with ASHA workers and also distributing the ration door to door to the beneficiaries. Nearly 27 lakh Mid Day Meal workers supply ration door to door to the school going children and perform duties in community centres and quarantine centres. They are forced to do all the cleaning and menial work in schools from time to time. There are also other workers under the National Health Mission(NHM) including the 108 Ambulance workers - all of them work at the grassroot level among the community risking their own lives and that of their family members. Although most of the scheme workers are put on Covid duty, all of them including anganwadi workers are not even notified as frontline workers. There are many more government schemes like, NCLP, SSA, NRLM etc which employs lakhs of workers who are also working under very poor working conditions.

It is shocking that most of them are not provided with any kind of safety measures, even masks and sanitizers especially in the second wave of the pandemic. Many are termed as 'Carriers of Corona' and are being attacked. There are hundreds of cases of them getting infected with Covid -19. Many of them are finding it difficult to get any treatment, leaving aside hospitalization. Hundreds of ASHA workers, anganwadi workers, MDM workers and other scheme workers died of Corona and many succumbed to stress related complications during the last one and half years.

It is most unfortunate that most of the families of the diseased are denied the much acclaimed compensation of Rs.50 lakhs. From January 2021 onwards, many states told that the scheme has been stopped. The anganwadi workers are not even notified as frontline workers! Whereas the scheme workers are putting their life at risk fighting the pandemic, the government did not offer them anything except the announcement of Rs.1000 per month as 'additional incentive for Covid duty' for ASHA workers, that too for six months. The extension of this for further six months has been made optional and resulted in the situation where ASHA workers did not get it.

Due to the cut in the budget allocation in the last budget 2021-22 to many of these schemes, even their regular monthly remuneration is pending for many months in many states. At a time like this, they are being threatened with retrenchment and compulsory retirement without any ex gratia or pension, citing the guidelines from the government of India. In addition, in the name of digitization, beneficiaries of various schemes are targeted and the workers are being harassed. Direct benefits transfers are also being implemented which are detrimental to these schemes.

As you have mentioned in your speeches in many times, the services rendered by the Scheme Workers are of vital importance. But, the challenges faced by these workers are never taken into consideration at any level in spite of recommendations of various fora including Parliamentary Standing Committees and 45^th and 46^th Indian Labour Conferences. They are not recognized as workers and paid minimum wages. There is no social security or pension for them even after years of service. Even the pittance due to them as low as Rs.1000 per month in case of MDM workers is not being paid regularly. Your government has not included the scheme workers in the category of workers. Even for registration in the E Shram Portal, although some of the scheme workers are included, many other scheme workers are left out.

When various agencies like WHO and UNICEF have warned about the ensuing large scale poverty due to loss of livelihood, lack of proper public healthcare, and resultant hunger and malnutrition deaths it is very important that the government must strengthen the basic services schemes of public health, education and nutritional services by institutionalizing them and recognise the contribution of scheme workers in these services. It is also very important to ensure food and income support to the majority of the people. But it is shocking that your government is determined to privatise these important schemes by introducing various measurers and policies involving corporate and NGOs. The National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) and the proposals of NITI Ayog in privatizing and commercializing the health services, the new education policy, involving corporates in ICDS and MDMS etc will lead to the dismantling of these schemes. The implementation of the three Farm Acts especially, the Essential Commodities Act will be the death knell of the schemes like ICDS and MDMS to ensure food security.

We are quite aware that it is necessary to mobilise financial resources to fight the pandemic. We feel that some of the expenses like for the "Central Vista Project" should be avoided and enough resources can be mobilized by taxing the super rich.

It is very unfortunate that in spite of continuous representation by the scheme worker's unions and federations, the NDA government is totally insensitive to the plight of the workers and the beneficiaries. So, we, the scheme workers under the leadership of the trade union federations affiliated to the Central Trade Unions are forced to go on an All India Strike today, 24 September 2021.

We urge you to intervene immediately and to resolve the issues in view of the paramount importance of the services rendered to the Nation.

Our Demands

1. Notify all the Scheme workers who are deputed in covid duty as frontline workers. Ensure immediate Free and Universal vaccination to all with priority to frontline workers. Ramp up vaccine production and bring the distribution under government regulation to ensure universal free vaccination within a definite time frame
2. Ensure availability of protective gear, equipments etc for all health and frontline workers and those engaged in pandemic-management work including scheme workers. Frequent, random and free Covid-19 test of all frontline workers. Priority hospitalization to frontline workers infected by Covid.
3. Allocate 6% of GDP for health sector. Strengthen the public health system and the health infrastructure to ensure adequate hospital beds, oxygen and other medical facilities to meet the Covid surge; Strengthen public health infrastructure including recruiting the necessary health personnel; Ensure non Covid patients get effective treatment in government hospitals
4. Rs 50 lakhs insurance cover to all frontline workers covering all deaths on duty; also coverage for total expenses for treatment for Covid-19 for the entire family.
5. Additional Covid Risk Allowance of Rs.10,000 per month for all the contract and scheme workers engaged in Covid -19 duty. Payment of all the pending dues of wages and allowances etc., of all the Scheme workers immediately
6. Compensation of minimum Rupees Ten lakhs for all those who got infected while on duty
7. Withdraw the anti worker Labour Codes. Include scheme workers in the category of workers. Ensure that all scheme workers are included for registration in E shram portal, pending regularisation
8. Make the Centrally Sponsored Schemes like ICDS, NHM and MDMS permanent with adequate budget allocation. Provide adequate additional ration with good quality for all the beneficiaries of ICDS and MDMS immediately; include migrants in these schemes
9. Implement the recommendations of 45^th and 46^th ILC for regularization of scheme workers as workers; Pay Minimum wages Rs.21000 per month and pension Rs.10000 per month; Provide ESI and PF to all scheme workers
10. The existing insurance schemes (a) Pradhan Mantri Jivan Jyoti Bima Yojana, (b) Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and (c) Anganwadi Workers Bima Yojana must be implemented properly with universal coverage applicable to all scheme workers
11. Mid Day Meal Workers must be paid minimum wages for the period when the schools are closed including the summer holidays; No contractorisation or centralised kitchen
12. 10 kg foodgrains per person per month to all for the entire corona period. Control price rise; Rs.7500 per month for all non taxpaying families for six months ; Ensure Jobs and income for all
13. Withdraw the proposals for privatization of basic services including health (including hospitals), nutrition (including ICDS and MDMS) and education. Withdraw NDHM and NEP- 2020. Stop Privatisation of PSEs and Services.
14. Withdraw the anti people farm Acts which are detrimental to the schemes.
15. Stop targeting the beneficiaries in the name of digitization. Stop harassment of the anganwadi workers in the name of 'Poshan Tracker', 'Poshan vatika' etc.
16. Enact legislation for right to universal healthcare as in case of right to food and right to education
17. Tax the super rich for Finance mobilization. Projects such as "Central Vista Project" be scrapped.

Yours sincerely,

Copy to :- Minister for Health & FW, Minister for WCD, Minister for HRD

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