Kerala’s Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), who have been on strike for the past 265 days demanding enhanced remuneration and retirement benefits, announced on Friday that they would end their day-and-night protest in front of the Secretariat and will continue their protest in the districts.
The ASHA workers will formally conclude their protest at the Secretariat on Saturday, November 1, Kerala’s Formation Day, with a rally pledging to continue their fight for daily minimum wages and retirement benefits.
The rally, scheduled for 11 a.m., will be inaugurated by Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan.
The decision follows Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s recent announcement of a ₹1,000 hike in the monthly honorarium of ASHAs, made as part of a series of populist measures declared earlier this week.
“The government earlier claimed that the honorarium was paid by the Centre, but the Chief Minister’s announcement of a ₹1,000 hike has made it clear that the State holds that responsibility,” KAHWA leaders said.
Although the major demands of the Kerala ASHA Health Workers’ Association (KAHWA), including an increase in the State-paid honorarium to ₹21,000 and a lump-sum retirement benefit of ₹5 lakh, remain unmet, KAHWA leaders said the strike was being called off in its current form as several other demands had been achieved.
“We will continue our agitation to secure the State’s accepted daily minimum wage of ₹700 per day for ASHAs, as well as our primary demand, retirement benefits,” said M.A. Bindu, General Secretary of KAHWA.
“We are happy that by sitting in front of the Secretariat, we made our voices heard in both Houses of Parliament and became a symbol of hope for ASHAs struggling across the country.”
The ASHAs have also decided to intensify their campaign during the upcoming local body elections, visiting every ward to urge people to “deliver a verdict against those who insulted or belittled the ASHAs’ struggle.”
Bindu said their prolonged agitation had compelled the government to clear pending salary arrears, ensure timely honorarium payments, and remove restrictive clauses such as the one fixing the retirement age at 62 years.
“Through this struggle, we have not only achieved dignity for ASHAs in Kerala but also brought national attention to our life, work, and hardships,” Bindu highlighted.
The ASHA workers, under the banner of the Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association (KAHWA), have been staging a sit-in outside the state secretariat since February this year, demanding fair honorariums and post-retirement benefits.
In October, they intensified their agitation during President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to the state, marching towards Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence and clashing with police.
Several protesters were detained and later released.
Earlier, the group appealed to veteran actors Mohanlal, Mammootty, and Kamal Haasan to refrain from attending the state government’s official ceremony on November 1, declaring Kerala an “extreme poverty-free” state, stating that “Kerala cannot be called free from extreme poverty while we continue to live in misery.”
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