884 Anganwadi workers and helpers were allegedly illegally terminated...
On Tuesday 884 Anganwadi workers and helpers sat in front of the Women and Child development department office at Kashmiri gate and held a cultural programme of their first anniversary of 38-days long strike last year. Women took a pledge to "brace themselves for the future and review the past".
Delhi government imposed The Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1968, last year during the strike, when an order was passed by the Lieutenant Governor. Almost 884 Anganwadi workers and helpers were allegedly illegally terminated, when during the protesting women they were ordered to call off the strike or to get terminated after which thousands of women were issued a show-case notices.
The 2022 was a challenge to the department and the government, Union president Shivani said. "This ‘laal inqilab of ours intimidated the Delhi and central governments and the imposition of the Haryana Essential Services Maintenance Act (HESMA) was our political victory.
From the high court to the streets we are still struggling even today, today is the day to make a resolution and to celebrate. With our unity and struggle, we shook the empire of capital. We'll brace ourselves for future," she said.
A calendar and a video collage was released, the terminated Anganwadi workers under Delhi State Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union, which includes selected photographs and clips from the strike.
"During the time of Covid pandemic we did so much work for people. Without taking any precautions like masks and sanitizers, we distributed food to people, vaccinated them but all our work is not countable or respected when we sought a hike in the honorarium," she further said.
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