People's Democracy

AIFAWH Stages Massive Countrywide Strike

Anganwadi workers staging Rail Roko in Punjab.

THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions congratulates the anganwadi employees all over the country on their massive participation in the All India strike on July 10, 2007 demanding immediate implementation of the assurances given by the prime minister nearly one year back. All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers (AIFAWH) had given the call for strike action. Reports from different states show that the anganwadi employees in thousands of projects closed their centres and participated en masse in the protest activities like demonstrations, processions, rasta rokos, rail rokos, burning of effigies etc., which reflected their anger at the non implementation of the assurances given by no less than a person than the prime minister.

As usual, strike is total in all the anganwadi projects in Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura and the striking workers took to streets in massive demonstrations. In Jammu & Kashmir, 15000 striking anganwadi workers staged powerful demonstration at Srinagar braving brutal lathicharge by police. In Himachal Pradesh strike was total in all the projects in the state and striking workers staged demonstration at the district level. In Uttarakhand, Pouri, Dehradun and Udhamsingh Nagar the strike was complete. Overwhelming majority of the anganwadi workers and helpers took part in the strike in Punjab and the striking workers staged road-blockade demonstration in 30 places in the state and also rail-blockade in five centres of Sangrur, Ludhiana, Fathepur etc., where workers from other sectors also joined the anganwadi workers in solidarity. Assam reported strike in majority of the projects in the state. In Andhra Pradesh, strike was total and around 70,000 workers staged demonstrations in different parts of the state braving police onslaughts. In Madhya Pradesh, complete strike was reported from Jabalpur, Rewa, Bhopal, Indore and Gwalior. In Maharashtra, in 16 districts, out of 23, strike was total. Karnataka and Orissa also reported massive participation of the anganwadi workers and helpers in the strike action.

Centre of India Trade Unions condemns the brutal police attacks in some states on the anganwadi employees, peacefully protesting against apathetic attitude of the government. The anganwadi employees are not only demanding recognition as employees, an increase in their remuneration and social security benefits including pension, but are also demanding conversion of ICDS into a permanent service, to benefit crores of poor women and children, for universalisation of ICDS as per the commitment in the NCMP of the UPA government.

The CITU fully supports the struggle of the anganwadi employees and assures them that the cadres and members of the CITU will fight shoulder to shoulder along with them till their demands are fulfilled. It also calls upon them to participate in the broader struggles against the anti-worker and anti-people policies of the government of India as these are at the root of the government’s attitude of negligence to the demands of the anganwadi employees. The CITU demands the government to take serious note of the discontent among the anganwadi employees and take the necessary action for the immediate fulfilment of the demands of the anganwadi employees. (INN)