ASHA workers take out massive protest march to Kerala Assembly

ASHA workers in Kerala, who had been protesting in front of the Secretariat demanding a hike in honorarium and retirement benefits along with other demands, took out a massive protest march to the Assembly on March 3, 2025.

Exerting pressure on the State government, the ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activists) workers in Kerala, who had been protesting in front of the Secretariat for the last 22 days demanding a hike in honorarium and retirement benefits along with other demands, took out a massive protest march to the Assembly on Monday (March 3, 2025) when the Assembly session resumed in the morning.

Also read | Strike unnecessary and motivated by anarchic groups, says ASHA Workers Federation

Expressing solidarity with the protesting ASHA workers, the Congress also took out a march to the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram and the collectorates in other districts. Opposition leader V.D. Satheesan inaugurated the Congress march in the capital, while K.K. Rema MLA inaugurated the ASHA workers’ march from the secretariat to the Assembly. The march witnessed thousands of ASHA workers from various districts coming together for their cause.

“The ruling dispensation headed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has become a right-wing coalition in Kerala after deviating from its labour-friendly ideals,” said Mr. Satheeshan.

He also asked the Chief Minister, “what kind of Communist you are”. “Is it the Communist way of insulting and abusing the protesting workers, he asked. The approach of the State government towards the striking workers is equal to declaring war on them. The Left rule in Kerala has become an extreme right-wing rule,”he rued.

“The State government should be ready to invite the striking workers for a conciliatory talk. If the State continues to drag its feet on this issue, the legislators would be forced to sit along with at the protest venue,” said Ms. Rema.

The protest took a new turn on Sunday early morning, when the police used force to remove the plastic sheets they used to protect themselves from the summer rains. Later, when rain lashed the region, Union Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi intervened and distributed coats and umbrellas to the workers. Attingal MP Adoor Prakash also flayed the police action in strong terms.