Thousands of Anganwadi workers from all corners of Maharashtra participated in the statewide Anganwadi Workers Action Committee protest at Azad Maidan on Wednesday, January3. Former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and former Women and Child Development Minister Varsha Gaikwad (Indian National Congress-INC) participated and lent their voice of support to the demands.
The present protest and ongoing strike of Maharashtra’s Anganwadi workers has been on since December 4, 2023 but despite efforts made by State Education Minister, Deepak Kesarkar, who took a delegation to meet Eknath Shinde, the talks could not succeed. The delegation included MA Patil, Shubha Shamim, Dilip Utane, Kamal Parulekar, Bhagwan Rao Deshmukh, Suvarna Talekar and Appa Patil.
Overall, according to details obtained from the protesting day care workers (Anganwadi workers) though there was a discussion with the Chief Minister, Shinde about the status of government employees, gratuity, increase in remuneration, monthly pension, mobile phones, increase in the rent of Anganwadis and increase in the price of food., the demand for a wage remuneration hike was rejected outright, rendering the negotiations fruitless.
The protesters are clear: according to the judgment given by the Supreme Court regarding gratuity, the remuneration received by the Anganwadi employees for full-time work is salary. Therefore, the demand that the government should accord Anganwadi workers the status of government employees and apply benefits like minimum wage, dearness allowance gratuity etc. are not just valid but essential.
While other remaining pending issues will continue to be discussed with the administration, the Action Committee expressed its inability to call off the strike as the talks ultimately failed due to the Shinde-Phadnavis refusal to accede to the demand for a pay rise. Hence, the committee has announced the decision to continue the strike and intensify the agitation. The action committee has decided to continue the Thiya agitation at Azad Maidan on January 4 also and has appealed to all Anganwadi workers to participate in large numbers. Among the representatives of the Maharashtra State Anganwadi Staff Action Committee are MA Patil, Shubha Shamim Dilip Utane Kamal Parulekar Bhagwanrao Deshmukh Jeevan Surude Jayashree Patil.
Related:
Uttarakhand: Anganwadi Workers Protest for Wage Hike Outside CM Residence in Dehradun
Long Wait for Wages, Gratuity for Telangana Anganwadi Workers
Karnataka: Anganwadi Workers Demand to be Classified as Teachers