THOUSANDS of anganwadi workers and helpers in Haryana have been on strike for almost 40 days.  This movement, which started under the leadership of the joint coordination committee(JCC) headed by three unions, continues despite the rain and bitter cold, the workers and helpers are on strike.

HOW DID THE MOVEMENT START?

A joint meeting was convened on November 22, bringing the three anganwadi unions on a single platform on their issues.  The CITU affiliated unions account for half of the workforce in the state among anganwadi workers.  A JCC was formed in the meeting with the other two organisations.  This prepared 19 - point demand charter.  On the basis of this demand letter, action for demonstrations was taken at all the district headquarters on November 26, 2021.  The strike notice was also given and the movement started.  The strike started on December 8, 2021, and is still going on.

TALKS WITH THE GOVERNMENT AND ANNOUNCEMENTS MADE BY THE CHIEF MINISTER

In 22 districts of the state, except one district, the strike had a wide impact.  However, the government initially tried to ignore the strike. Later, because of the massive participation of the workers, the government had to come to the negotiating table with the coordination committee.  Since December 24, there were a series of meetings with the government including the chief minister. The government brought the BMS, it's pocket union also in the movement. Some announcements were also made by the chief minister however all of these was hollow promises.

The JCC announced the continuation of the movement.  However, after two days, a union included in the coordination committee was pulled out of the movement by the government in its favour.  Despite this, the strike continued.

There are a total of 48,000 Anganwadi workers and helpers in the state, of which more than 70 per cent are still on strike and agitation.  In the announcements of the chief minister, the announcement of giving one lakh rupees as retirement benefit to the worker and fifty thousand rupees to the helper is as the only benefit.

WHY IS THE STRIKE STILL ON?

It has been more than 40 days that the movement is going on.  In fact, on March 6, 2018, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had announced in the Vidhan Sabha that Haryana would be the first state to include its workers in the category of skilled and unskilled labourers and the honorarium is given to them would be linked with dearness allowance. Two instalments of dearness allowance were also given but now the government has turned back.  The chief minister himself said in the conversation, “I had said the above thing in a rage.”

Similarly, in the month of September 2018, the central government had increased the honorarium of the worker by Rs 1,500 and the honorarium of the helper by Rs 750.  It has been four years, the Haryana government is not releasing that money. Apart from this, anganwadi workers are demanding three lakh rupees as an exgratia benefit on the lines of contract workers and ASHA workers in the state.  But the state government converted it into two lakh rupees accident compensation by linking it with the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.

THE CONSPIRACY TO DESTROY THE ICDS

The present government of BJP is handing over the ICDS and involves a profit-making NGO in the name of play way school.  Under the National Education Policy 2020, the government has made arrangements to destroy the anganwadi centres along with the education department.  On one hand, the JBT teacher recruitment has been stopped in the state, on the other, the government is trying to take the same work by the anganwadi worker on a small honorarium i.e., preparing to use the anganwadi worker as cheap labour.  The workers understood this when training programs were conducted for this.  This movement is not limited only to its demands but also to saving ICDS.  The entire scheme is to be monitored by the central government through the nutrition tracker app.  For this, for two years, the central government has given Rs 8,000 per worker to the state government to buy mobiles.  The government is also digesting that and the workers are being forced to do this work from the mobile of any member of their family.  A lot of workers are not even in a position to do the work online.

Due to the continuation of the movement, on January 1, the government again invited the coordination committee for talks.  After those talks were also held on January 5 and 10, which did not succeed.  The efforts of the government are to make the movement tired by running it for a long time.  But this effort of the government is failing. 

Meanwhile, on the call of the coordination committee, a historic rally was held in Karnal on January 5, in which more than 20,000 anganwadi workers from across the state participated despite heavy rains.  This was the biggest ever rally of anganwadi workers in Haryana.  The rally was organised by state unions, CITU leaders, Usha Rani, president of anganwadi federation and general secretary A R  Sindhu also addressed. On January 12th, there was a call for court arrests across the state.  On this day also about 25,000 anganwadi workers and helpers presented themselves for arrests. Activists of CITU, SKS, AIDWA, AIKS were also arrested on that day.   In many places, the police have also registered cases against the leaders of unions, CITU and other mass organisations.

To harass the movement, the BJP government is adopting various methods including Sama-Daam-Dand(material, money and punitive actions). Continuous notices are being issued to terminate the services of workers and helpers.  The answer to such notices is being given in the form of mass burning of notices.  Taking the pretext of Corona, the state government banned all dharnas, demonstrations, rallies in the state from January 11.  However, the ministers of the BJP themselves, the chief minister are holding big meetings. 

SUPPORT ACTION 

The strike is also getting support from different sections of the public.  On December 27-28, CITU organised demonstrations in support of the agitators.  On January 10, the JMS and AIKS held demonstrations.  On January 11, Sarva Karamchari Sangh Haryana organised demonstrations in all the districts in support of the demands of the striking workers.  The unions belonging to CITU have announced to take support action again from January 20 to January 24.  The CPI(M) has also written a letter to the government to settle the demands. Opposition parties Congress, INLD, AAP have also supported the movement.

MAIN DEMANDS OF THE STRIKE

• Anganwadi workers and helpers should be given the status of government employees, till the time they are not made employees, minimum wage of workers should be given Rs 24,000 and helpers Rs16,000.
• Implementing the announcements made in 2018, all instalments of dearness allowance should be added to the honorarium.  The arrears of dearness allowance should also be given immediately.  
• The department should not get the work done online on the workers without giving phone and other resources.  The order of the Punjab and Haryana high court in this regard should not be disobeyed.
• The increase of Rs 1,500 and Rs 750 for workers and helpers made by the central government in September 2018 should be given along with arrears.  (The government is refusing to give it.)
• Anganwadi workers get five lakh rupees and helpers get retirement benefits of three lakh rupees.
• Promotion of 50 per cent from anganwadi worker to supervisor should be implemented without any condition.
• The increased rent of anganwadi centres should be implemented by Rs 2,000 for rural areas, Rs 3000 for small towns and Rs 5,000 for big cities.
• The remuneration for uniforms of workers and helpers should be increased and at least two thousand rupees should be made annually.
• The new education policy should be withdrawn.  ICDS should not be privatised in the name of play way school.  No NGO or private organisation should be allowed to be included in ICSD.
• All the posts of helpers, workers, supervisors, CDPO, PO etc., lying vacant in ICDS should be filled so that the work of the department is conducted properly.
• No work should be taken other than six services and five purposes of ICDS.
• The cases of road jams made on anganwadi workers during the agitation in the state should be quashed.
• All workers and helpers should be covered under ESI and PF and their accounts should be opened immediately.
• Helper should be recruited in mini anganwadi centres.
• Summer-winter vacation should be applicable for anganwadi workers and helpers.