Protesters also warned of a nationwide strike on July 9 if their demands were not addressed promptly.

ASHA, Midday Meal Workers Hold Rally in Haldwani, latest news: Hundreds of ASHA and midday meal workers staged a rally in Haldwani on Tuesday, demanding fair wages, job security, pensions, and improved working conditions. The demonstrators raised concerns over the unfulfilled promise made by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in 2021, where he had assured ASHA workers a monthly honorarium of rupees 11,500. Protesters also warned of a nationwide strike on July 9 if their demands were not addressed promptly.

According to a Times of India report, the protest was led by the Uttarakhand ASHA Health Workers Union, affiliated with the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU).

The protesters assembled at Budh Park before marching to the sub-district magistrate’s office, where they submitted an eight-point demand charter addressed to CM Dhami.

Demands as per the Times of India report, included:

•           Implementation of the 2021 proposal by the Director General of Health

•           Regularisation of ASHA workers with a monthly honorarium of rupees 11,500

•           A minimum wage structure

•           Employee status

•           Access to pensions

•           Timely disbursement of incentive payments

•           Rupees 500 daily compensation during training

•           A retirement package of rupees 10 lakh for outgoing workers

Dr. Kailash Pandey, General Secretary of the Uttarakhand ASHA Health Workers Union, said ASHA workers continue to work under insecure and challenging conditions. He also criticised the central government’s new labour codes, calling them “documents of modern-day bonded labour.” Dr. Pandey added that despite risking their lives on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic, ASHA workers still face systematic challenges in their work.

Rinki Joshi, president of the Haldwani block unit of the union, stated, “The government refuses to even acknowledge our basic rights. We are not treated with dignity or paid a fair wage.”

Union Secretary Reena Arya also highlighted the growing workload on ASHA workers, stating that while responsibilities have increased, basic entitlements such as salaries and employee status continue to be denied — a situation she described as unjust.

The rally concluded with a strong warning: if the demands are not addressed swiftly, the demonstrators will join the nationwide protest on July 9, called by central trade unions.

Similar protests were also reported in southern states, where ASHA workers have raised comparable demands, underlining a growing wave of unrest among frontline health workers across the country.

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