Anganwadi workers from across the State participated in a protest rally on Tuesday demanding that their working hours be rolled back to four-and-a-half hours.
K.S. Bhat of the AIUTUC said that their main demand was that the working hours of anganwadi workers be reverted to what it was before 2011, when a government order was passed changing the working hours from 9 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. to 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. At that time a few unions had welcomed the move and petitioned the government to regularise the services of anganwadi workers as they were working for eight hours a day and also sought an increase in the honorarium.
At present anganwadi workers are being paid an honorarium of Rs. 5,000 of which Rs. 3,000 is being contributed by the Centre.
“We are opposed to the idea of extending the work hours unless there is an immediate increase in salary. Since that is not happening and given that it is a Central government scheme we feel it is better for workers to revert to the old work hours. This will give them time take up other work,” said Mr. Bhat.
