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Municipal Kamgar Ekta Union (MKEU) has demanded that the Eknath Shinde led Maharashtra government give priority to COVID warriors in government jobs and to give them the allowance that was announced by the government. The Union has mobilized several COVID warriors across the state who are in need of jobs and those seeking allowance, who will be marching towards Mantralaya in Mumbai.
As COVID-19 receded, the need to employ COVID warriors who were mostly contract employees also diminished. Hence, many of the COVID warriors were rendered jobless and in need of money to run their household.
The union states that while some covid warriors received the allowance, majority of them are to receive the same. They have demanded that for risk entailed in their work, they should be paid a bonus of at least Rs. 25,000 each in addition to the declared bonus.
It’s not adequate to merely honor them with certificates, said the Union.
On February 5, during a live session of MKEU, it was said that while during COVID, the warriors were celebrated and venerated with flowers and banging thalis, nobody cares about them anymore. The Municipal Corporations did not even send a letter to their homes thanking them for a job well done.
This movement to get justice for COVID warriors demanding jobs for them and allowances, began on September 24, 2022 and since then MKEU has been going all over the state mobilizing COVID warriors.
The first protest meet was held on December 1, 2022 in Nashik and then on December 19, 2022 in Nagpur. In continuity, is this “Chalo Mantralaya Morcha” which will be held on March 2.
In June 2021, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) who were integral COVID warriors had ended their protest for better when the then health Minister Rajesh Tope had announced an increment of Rs. 1,000 in their wages and Rs. 500 COVID allowance per month, along with a smartphone. Further, Asha workers helping at vaccination centers were to get Rs. 200 of additional allowance.
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