Andhra Pradesh: Anganwadi workers say they will continue protest till demands are met

Anganwadi workers in Andhra Pradesh who have been on strike for the last 27 days said on Monday that they will continue to agitate till the state government meets their demands, reported The Hindu.

The workers, who have been protesting since December 12, have demanded that the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led administration recognise them as formal government employees, increase their wages from the current Rs 11,500 per month to Rs 26,000, provide them with gratuity benefits and increase their retirement age to 62, in line with other government departments.

On January 6, the Andhra Pradesh government, in a bid to end the strike, had invoked the Essential Services and Maintenance Act, 1971, to categorise anganwadi workers in the state as “essential workers”, prohibiting them from striking or staging a protest for the next six months.

However, anganwadi workers continued with the strike despite the order. According to K Subbaravamma, the state general secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union, around 1.06 lakh anganwadi workers and helpers are participating in the strike. This is the longest-ever strike launched by the anganwadi workers, Subbaravamma told The Hindu.

Criticising the use of police force, Subbaravamma alleged that the government was trying to provoke the workers who were protesting peacefully.

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