Right to dignity, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• ASHA and anganwadi workers in West Bengal are protesting for a wage increase to ₹15,000 per month.
• These workers lack permanent employee status despite their crucial role in national and state welfare schemes.
• The central government froze its contribution to these workers' pay in 2018.
• The article emphasizes the need to reclassify these workers as statutory employees under the Code on Social Security.

Detailed Insights:

• The Indira Gandhi government initially denied 'worker' status to these workers under the ICDS, setting a precedent for bypassing labor laws.
• The State of Karnataka vs Ameerbi (1996) case further excluded anganwadi workers from government employee status.
• Despite recommendations for job regularization, minimum wages, and pension at the 45th Labour Conference, successive governments did not implement these measures.
• The central government's freezing of contributions has left ASHA and anganwadi workers vulnerable to fiscal shocks.
• States have varying capacities to supplement payments, leading to disparities in pay and benefits.
• Reclassifying these workers and bridging fiscal gaps are essential to ensure equitable pay and dignity.

Key Concepts Involved:

• ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist): Community health workers who act as a bridge between the community and the public health system.
• Anganwadi Workers: Frontline workers providing basic health and education services in rural areas under the ICDS scheme.
• ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services): A government program providing food, preschool education, healthcare, and nutrition to children and mothers.
• Code on Social Security: A legislative framework designed to consolidate and amend laws related to social security with the goal to extend social security to all employees and workers in both the organized and unorganized sectors.