Workers associated with the Delhi State Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union (DSWAHU) have pledged to boycott the BJP, AAP, and Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha election for not fulfilling their demands. The workers have been asking for a permanent employee status, a guarantee of minimum wage and the immediate reinstatement of those whose jobs were terminated for participating in a strike in 2022.
For most Anganwadi workers, sustaining themselves with their stagnant wages in the time of inflation has become difficult. Geeta Negi, 45, an Anganwadi in Delhi’s Khajuri Khaas, said that while workload has increased over the years, their salaries have not increased as per the inflation rates. She walks for 45 minutes every day to reach her Anganwadi centre, lets children in, checks their vitals, and spreads awareness in the neighbourhood while logging in every activity manually and on her phone.
“Yet we are not paid overtime for the additional tasks, and we can be terminated from our jobs at any time as has happened before,” said Ms. Negi, who has been an Anganwadi worker for 16 years.
Job insecurity, a major concern for the 18,000 workers affiliated with DSWAHU, stems from the terminations that left 884 workers and helpers in dire straits in 2022. While 551 of them have been offered their jobs back, some have taken up odd jobs to sustain their families and some still hold on to the hopes of reinstatement. The notice, sent in March 2022, from the Delhi government’s Department of Women and Child Development (WCD) stated that they were terminated because they had participated in a strike. The workers were protesting for government employee status, a minimum salary of ₹25000 for Anganwadi workers and ₹20000 for helpers.
A Delhi High court case on the terminations is currently ongoing.
Workers want permanent employee status, guarantee of minimum wage
In April, the Delhi Anganwadi union released a charter of demands, which was sent to every party’s office.
Shivani, the president of the union, said that their primary concerns include immediate reinstatement of the terminated workers, along with salaries paid for the months that they were not working, increased wages in tune with increasing expenses and recognition as permanent employees, which will ensure other benefits such as gratuity and a provident fund.
Following the 2022 strike, the Delhi government increased monthly wages to ₹12,720 and ₹6,810 to workers and helpers, respectively. However, they continue to fight for a minimum wage which is currently at Rs ₹21,215 for skilled workers, ₹19,279 for semi-skilled workers and ₹17,494 for unskilled labourers.
An alternative
Poonam Rani, 42, who was among the terminated workers and is now assisting the union in their daily tasks, said, “Since online work has been introduced, most workers struggle to pay their recharge bills since our salaries are so low.” She said that they were disappointed with AAP for terminations, and BJP for promising a raise as a “Diwali gift” in 2018 which “they never received”. As for Congress, which said in its manifesto that it would double the Centre’s salary contribution for Anganwadi workers, the workers say that there was no mention of recognising them as permanent employees or of their reinstatement demand.
The Revolutionary Workers’ Party of India (RWPI) - an “independent communist” party - have included the demands of the workers in their campaign, promising that each of their demands will be fulfilled. The candidates have already started appealing to the workers - Aditi, who will be contesting elections from the North West constituency, has visited several Anganwadi centres in Samaypur Badli, and assured the workers of the party’s promises.
While Manoj Tiwari is contesting from the North East constituency, the union says that it will support Yogesh Swamy, the RWPI candidate. Aditi will be up against Yogender Chandolia from the BJP. Kanhaiya Kumar and Udit Raj are set to contest from the Congress from the Delhi North East and the Delhi North West constituencies respectively. Shivani, the union president, says that they will support RWPI as it is “the only party” that has responded to their demands.
