Kerala ASHA Workers Call ₹1,000 Pay Hike An ‘Insult’, Announce Plan To Intensify Statewide Protest

Thiruvananthapuram: Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) volunteers in Kerala have condemned the state government’s decision to raise their monthly honorarium by Rs 1,000, calling it an “insult” to their long-standing struggle for fair pay and benefits.

The Kerala government on Wednesday, October 29, announced that the monthly payment for ASHA workers would increase from Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000.

Protest Leaders Reject Increment, Demand Dignified Wage

The Kerala ASHA Health Workers’ Association (KAHWA), which has been leading the state-wide agitation, said the Rs 1,000 hike amounts to just Rs 33 a day and fails to acknowledge the contributions of thousands of frontline workers. “It is also highly objectionable that the government did not even mention the key demand for retirement benefits,” KAHWA said.

ASHA volunteers have been on strike since February 10, pressing for a revised monthly honorarium of Rs 21,000, regular payment by the first week of every month, and social security provisions. Despite expressing disappointment, KAHWA said the minor raise was the outcome of sustained agitation. “The government’s announcement confirms that our demands were valid,” the association noted, vowing to continue the protest “with greater strength.”

KAHWA president VK Sadanandan said a state committee meeting would soon be convened to decide the next phase of the movement.

Appeal to Actors, Criticism of Government Event

Earlier this week, ASHA workers urged Malayalam film icons Mohanlal, Mammootty and Kamal Haasan not to attend the government’s November 1 event declaring Kerala “extreme poverty free.” The volunteers argued that thousands of ASHA workers, earning just Rs 233 a day, are themselves living in conditions of extreme poverty.

The association accused the government of attempting to project a false image of social progress while neglecting the welfare of its lowest-paid health workers. With the protest crossing 260 days, the volunteers say they remain committed to securing a fair wage and recognition for their contribution to the state’s public health system.

Published on: Thursday, October 30, 2025, 03:58 PM IST