Trade unions, people’s organisations stage rasta roko in support of striking Anganwadi workers in Visakhapatnam

Trade unions and activists stage rasta roko in Visakhapatnam in support of Anganwadi workers demanding salary hike.

A rasta roko was staged by the representatives of CITU, AITUC and IFTU in support of Anganwadi workers, who are on a strike for the past 40 days demanding hike in salaries and payment of gratuity, on the main road, near the RTC Complex, here on Saturday.

Leaders and activists of various trade unions and people’s organisations took out a rally, as part of the Statewide protests being organised to exert pressure on the State government to settle the demands of the Anganwadi workers, from the Gandhi statue to main road near RTC Complex, where they prevented the movement of vehicles by squatting on the road.

CITU district general secretary R.K.S.V. Kumar, CPI(M) district secretary M. Jaggu Naidu, AITUC district general secretary G.S. Atchuta Rao, IFU district leader Y. Kondayya deplored the adamant attitude of the YSRCP government towards the genuine demands of the Anganwadi workers, though they have been agitating for the past 40 days. They were only seeking implementation of the assurances given by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, they said.

The trade union leaders said that Mr. Jagan had promised to pay the Anganwadis ₹1,000 more than that being paid to their counterparts in Telangana State. The Anganwadis in Telangana were being paid ₹13,500 at present and the Congress government has promised to hike it to ₹18,000. In Andhra Pradesh, they were being paid only ₹11,500.

They deplored the action of the government in failing to meet their just demands, and trying to suppress the agitation by invoking ESMA on them and threatening to terminate their services and appoint new workers in their place. They warned that the YSRCP would be shown the door in the forthcoming elections, if it continued such repression against workers. They warned that a bandh would be organised with the support of all political parties, if the YSRCP government continue to ignore the stir of Anganwadi workers.

CITU leaders M. Subba Rao, P. Venkata Rao, Y. Raju, K. Penta Rao and G.R. Naidu, AITUC leaders M. Manmadha Rao, Sk Rahaman and Kasubabu and IFTU leaders Lakshmi, Tirupathi Rao and Venkatalakshmi were among those who participated in the protest.