INDIA
Haryana: In Karnal, Amidst Show of Strength, Striking Anganwadi Workers Announce to Intensify Struggle

As the state government refuses to budge on their major demands, the unions spearheading the strike have now announced to observe Jail Bharo agitation on January 12.

Ronak Chhabra
05 Jan 2022

Anganwadi Workers and Helpers travelled from across the state to participate in a demonstration at Karnal’s New Anaj Mandi on Wednesday.

Karnal/Haryana: Unions leading the striking Anganwadi workers and helpers in Haryana announced on Wednesday to intensify their struggle with a Jail Bharo agitation on January 12, after the Manohar Lal Khattar-led government refused to budge on granting an increment to the all-women workforce in the state, promised to them by the Central Government in 2018.

According to the union leaders, the state government did accept a "few demands" of the agitating unions on Wednesday, when both the parties met for the third time within a month but didn't agree to the major demand.

Operations at almost all the 26,000 Anganwadi centres in 22 districts across Haryana have been hit since December 8 last year, as workers and helpers, led by one coordination committee of state-based unions, have been on strike.

On Wednesday, braving inclement weather, close to 20,000 of these workers travelled from across the state and participated in a demonstration at Karnal's New Anaj Mandi, ostensibly in a show of strength, to exert pressure on the state government. The demonstration was also joined by trade union and farmer organisation leaders and representatives of the Haryana-based Sarv Karamchari Sangh (SKS).

"The [state] government agreed on few of our demands - two out of three - but they didn't agree to implement the increment that was announced in 2018," Jai Bhagwan of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU)-Haryana told NewsClick over the phone from Panchkula.

Bhagwan was part of the union delegation that met the Chief Secretary, Women and Child Development Department, Haryana. The union leaders of CITU-led Haryana Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union and AIUTUC-led Anganwadi Karyakarta Sahayika Union, the two unions spearheading the agitation, were also part of this delegation.

The Anganwadi workers and helpers in Haryana are pressing to implement the increment in their honorarium, which was announced earlier in 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to the press statement issued then, an increment of Rs 1500 and Rs 750 for workers and helpers respectively was announced.

Not implementing the same in Haryana, where the monthly income is Rs 12,000 and Rs 6,000 for the workers and the helpers, the Khattar-led government, refused to accept it even now, Bhagwan said.

"They, however, had agreed over disbursing Rs. 3 lakh as an ex-gratia amount and also introducing DA (dearness allowance) in the monthly honorariums of the workers and helpers," he added.

As word reached Karnal in the afternoon, announcements were made to the demonstrating workers and helpers to continue with the strike action. "20,000 women, in around thousand vehicles - small and big - have reached Karnal today, and they will continue the strike," Surekha, president, CITU, told NewsClick.

Informing about the decision of Jail Bharo agitation, Usha Rani, national president, All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Federation, said that if the government refuses to accept our demands, they must be ready for even more actions.

"Because, from here on, we are not going to turn back," she said.

The latest stalemate between the Anganwadi workers' unions and the Haryana government comes when the state is witnessing a resurgence in COVID-19 cases after the emergence of the Omicron variant.

Incidentally, last month, Khattar did announce several financial incentives for the striking staff, including a hike in the monthly honorarium - of Rs 400 from September 2020 and Rs 450 from September 2021 - and an additional COVID-19 incentive for the workers and a promotion policy.

But it had failed to persuade the two unions to withdraw the strike action, even as one organisation, which had earlier been part of the coordination committee leading the strike, withdrew its support.

20,000 Striking Anganwadi Workers of Haryana to Rally in Karnal

The workers and helpers have been on strike since December 8, 2021, demanding the increment promised to them in 2018.

Ronak Chhabra
04 Jan 2022



New Delhi: Nearly, 20,000 striking Anganwadi workers and helpers will take out a rally in Haryana’s Karnal on Wednesday to press for their pending demands even as one of the three unions spearheading the protest has decided to withdraw support to the strike.

Operations at almost all the 26,000 Anganwadi centres in 22 districts across Haryana have been hit since December 8, 2021, with the all-women workforce on strike and demanding increment in their monthly remuneration among other things despite chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar announcing several financial incentives earlier last month.

Preparations for the upcoming rally are in full swing and the workers and helpers have booked vehicles to travel to Karnal, Shakuntala, general secretary, Centre of Indian Trade Unions-affiliated Haryana Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union, told Newsclick on Tuesday.

“We expect 20,000 Anganwadi workers and helpers to reach Karnal tomorrow. We have planned to take the rally to the district office,” Shakuntala said adding that the women will stay put outside the headquarters unless the state government doesn’t invite them for talks. Government employees, students, and farmer leaders in the state have extended support to the rally, she said. Though the government has told the union that the demands will be “considered” after the strike is withdrawn, she said, “We will continue to strike until the assurance is given in writing.”

Pusha Dalal, general secretary, Anganwadi Karyakarta Sahayika Union, which is affiliated to United Trade Union Congress, told Newsclick that women associated with their union will reach Karnal in “large numbers”. “We also organised a rally in Rohtak today to ensure that more women join the strike and reach Karnal tomorrow. We will ensure that the [state] government accepts our demands at the earliest,” she said.

There are around 52,000 Anganwadi workers and helpers in Haryana, according to government estimates. Anganwadi workers and helpers across the country play a significant role in the Integrated Child Development Scheme by providing nutrition supplements and other development help to children under six years and pregnant and lactating mothers.

Among the key demands of Haryana workers is the increment in their honorarium announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in early 2018. Currently, Anganwadi workers and helpers in the state are entitled to a monthly honorarium of Rs 12,000 and Rs 6,000 respectively.

According to a press statement, an increment of Rs 1,500 and Rs 750 for the Anganwadi workers and helpers respectively was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in 2018, according to the protesting unions. The union leaders said that the increment was never provided despite Anganwadi workers and helpers being on the frontline of the battle against COVID-19 since 2020.

Last month, Khattar announced several financial incentives for the striking staff, including a retirement benefit of Rs 1 lakh for the workers and Rs 50,000 for the helpers. He also announced a hike in the monthly honorarium and an additional COVID-19 incentive for the workers and a promotion policy.

Khattar’s announcement failed to persuade the unions to withdraw their strike. The unions reiterated their concerns saying that most of the announcements were “nothing new”. “These measures were announced earlier too but never implemented,” Dalal said. Moreover, the unions are unhappy with the new promotion policy, which makes it mandatory for the workers to take an examination instead of considering their seniority to be promoted as supervisors.

Meanwhile, another union affiliated with the Samyukt Karamchari Sangh in Haryana has decided to withdraw support from the strike. Chota Gehlawat, the general secretary of the union, told Newsclick that its members are “satisfied” with what the strike has “achieved” so far and “don’t wish to continue further with the strike”.

12,000 Indian Rupee =161.16 US Dollar

6,000 Indian Rupee = 80.58 US Dollar

750 Indian Rupee =10.07 US Dollar

1,500 Indian Rupee =20.14 US Dollar

50,000 Indian Rupee =671.50 US Dollar

1 LAKH = 100,000 Canadian Dollar =78,680 US Dollar