India: Thousands of Midday Meal Workers Protest to Demand Better Wages

Several thousand women midday meal workers staged a sit-in for the fifth day in the northwestern state of Bihar and the northern state of Punjab.

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The women preparing midday meals also referred to as 'Anganwadi' (Rural mother and childcare center) workers are given contracts and are usually paid an honorarium for their caregiving and meal preparation services. However, they earn a paltry amount and are demanding better wages, employment facilities, and social security. Many of the workers are single women or widows 

The massive protests led by the All India Federation of Anganwadi workers have garnered support from several leftist trade unions, such as Center of Indian Trade Unions, CITU. 

The work of an Anganwadi worker has increased exponentially since the government’s push to provide nutritious hot meals in every Anganwadi, News Minute reported.

Manjula, a teacher at Yarpal in Telangana said: "I am working at this Anganwadi since 1984 and a few years ago, we had to feed children bread and a glass of milk. Now that children are given meals every day, my work has increased but my salary is just Rs. 4,000 now." 

Jai Bhagwan, the general secretary of the Left-backed Midday Meal Workers' Federation, said the decision by the minister showed "insensitivity." 

"This shows the government is absolutely insensitive towards the poor workers who work up to 3 pm every day in the school. They prepare food and clean the utensils. They deserve much more than Rs 2,000 a month. It is criminal not to pay them proper wages," he said. 

The workers have been waiting for a raise in the honorarium since 2014 when it was first proposed. But, recently the government was unable to raise the amount. An earlier draft prepared by the school education department under the Human Resource and Development, HRD ministry, had proposed to double the honorarium and provide it year-round instead of just for 10 months. But the proposal was rejected by the HDR ministry.

This isn't the first time the midday workers have protested. According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the current rate of wages paid to the Anganwadi workers and helpers since 2011 is Rs. 3000 (US$44) and Rs.1500 (US$22) per month respectively. In addition, state governments are also giving additional honorarium out of their own resources.

The trade unions supporting workers have proposed to give them an employment status to avoid exploitation, along with the implementation of recommendations of the 45th ILC on scheme workers, with minimum wages not less than Rs 18,000 (US$267) per month and social security including monthly pension not less than Rs 3000 (US$44) to all scheme workers. 

Here, the workers are demanding, at least, the salary which has proposed by the government earlier, K Mahantesh, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) State Secretary, told the News Click. 

"Other than wage hike, the workers demand a stop to the dismissal of workers for reasons like lack of attendance and a stop to cooking contracts being given to organizations and NGO,"  Mahantesh added.