Anganwadi workers and employees under several centrally sponsored schemes gathered at Town Hall on Monday to discuss better wages and working conditions.
Hundreds of anganwadi workers gathered at the Town Hall on Monday seeking pension, permanent jobs, timely salary payment and other benefits for them on a par with other government Staff, in addition to a hike in their remuneration to match minimum wages.
At a convention organised by Karnataka State Anganwadi Workers’ Union, anganwadi workers from across Karnataka and a few other states participated, demanding higher wages, and labour rights.
Among the participants was 35-year-old Manjula, an anganwadi worker from Gulbarga, whose central question was “How do we run our families?”
S.G Siddaramaiah, the chief guest and retired professor of Kannada literature, spoke about the working condition of anganwadi workers. He said, “Numerous women working as anganwadi workers, helpers, ASHA workers, and Sakhis receive meager wages. They face problems like irregular pay, and lack of service bonuses, equal pay, retirement benefits, and vacations. Monthly salaries are also inconsistent, and some positions lack direct recruitment.” He added, “Transfers may result in job loss, and there are no clear rules for promotions, transfers, health insurance, and maternity allowances.”
Mir Hanifa, an anganwadi worker, travelled all the way from Shopian in Kashmir to Bangalore for the convention. She said, “We’re asking the government for minimum wages. Sometimes, we haven’t been paid for eight to 10 months, and even when we are, it’s not the full amount.”
Many anganwadi workers complained that they’re burdened with extra responsibilities without getting any incentive. Mir mentioned that due to insufficient staff, they bear the responsibility of updating the POSHAN tracker app. Additionally, they have to personally spend Rs. 600 each month for data recharge to access the app.
A.R. Sindhu, the secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), said that the budget allocation lacks an increase in grants, contrary to the directives of five-year plans. “This has burdened state governments, impacting the quality of services for beneficiaries. Additionally, the state’s substantial GST funds are not properly distributed, leading to delays in project implementation.” She added, “Due to this, the ruling classes create the opinion that these projects are ineffective.”
Mahadev, the state program coordinator for the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), said that there has been an increase in the 2023-24 budget for the honorarium of state anganwadi workers this year. However, G.R. Shivashankar, the general secretary of the Trade Union Co-ordination Centre, expressed concern that bureaucrats are indifferent to their working conditions. He emphasized unresolved issues like workplace deaths, stressing the need for equal pay for equal work as repeatedly emphasized by the Supreme Court.
Experts say that the government urgently needs to address the concerns of Aganwadi workers, including increasing their honorarium and implementing a pension scheme. Public policy professor from Pune, Mr. Nitin Sharma, said, “Firstly, essential infrastructure should be provided for the anganwadi centers. This includes equipment, furniture, play materials, seating arrangements, sanitation facilities, and creative materials.”
He added, “Secondly, rigorous training for anganwadi workers is important, along with increased monthly honorarium. Overall, the government must prioritize the well-being and training of Anganwadi workers to improve service delivery. This way, improving worker pay and engaging with them at a ground level can significantly enhance the effectiveness of the anganwadi program.”
