Hundreds of angawadi workers and helpers will continue their strike as the Delhi government’s meeting with the unions on Monday proved to be inconclusive. Delhi State Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union (DSAWHU), which has been organising the indefinite strike, did not take part in the meeting. Demanding higher wages, women anganwadi workers and helpers, under the banner of DSAWHU, have been on an indefinite strike for the past 22 days near Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence in north Delhi. “We did not take part in the meeting as the government also invited an organisation - CITU, which has not been part of the strike. Besides, it is a pro-government organisation, which has been trying to sabotage our strike,” said Shivani Kaul, president of the DSAWHU. The DSAWHU has also announced a rally from their protest site to the residences of the Chief Minister and Women and Child Development Minister, Rajendra Pal Gautam on Tuesday.
According to sources, the government is considering forming a committee to look into the demands of the workers.
There are close to 10,700 anganwadi centres, and over 20,000 anganwadi workers and helpers, in the city. As per the DSAWHU, around 8,000-10,000 workers and helpers have been protesting near Mr. Kejriwal’s residence every day. Local police, however, pegs the number at around 2,000. The honorarium for anganwadi workers in Delhi was last increased in August 2017 after 58 days of strike. The present honorariums of anganwadi workers and helpers in Delhi are ₹9,678 and ₹4,839 respectively, as per the union. But apart from the honorarium, they get some incentives for selected programmes.
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