Anganwadi workers withdraw stir after govt links pay hike to

Anganwadi workers in Maharashtra today called off their near month-long strike after the state government agreed to raise their monthly wages as per their service seniority.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today gave an in-principle approval to the pay hike which will commensurate with seniority in service of anganwadi workers, state Woman and Child Development Minister Pankaja Munde said tonight.

Nearly two lakh workers manning 1.10 lakh anganwadis in the state had been on strike since September 12, demanding a pay hike as per seniority in the range of Rs 7,000 to Rs 13,000 per month.

Anganwadi workers cater to nutritional needs of children under the age of six and adolescent girls who are malnourished or anaemic in rural areas.
 

The breakthrough came at a meeting chaired by Fadnavis, which was attended by Munde and the representatives of the anganwadi workers.

The government on September 22 decided to give a hike in the payment as per which the workers would have received a salary of Rs 6,500 per month.

However, the striking workers rejected the raise as a "minuscule" and continued with their stir.

As per the in-principle approval given by the CM today, anganwadi workers with an experience of upto 10 years will get Rs 6,500 per month.

"Those with an experience of 10-20 years will get Rs 6,695, those in experience bracket of 20-30 years Rs 6,760 and those having more than 30 years of experience Rs 6,825 per month," a government communication said.

Munde told reporters the state government had on two occasions raised the wages of anganwadi workers in the last three years.

"Our government had increased twice the renumeration of anganwadi workers in the last three years. The Chief Minister today gave an in-principle nod to pay wages as per their service seniority," Munde told reporters after the meeting.

The revised renumeration will be applicable from October 1.

The minister informed that the chief minister has also approved an annual hike of 5 per cent in salaries of anganwadi workers from March next year.

"Anganwadi workers had been recently been given a hike in renumeration for which Rs 311 crore are required. Giving them salaries as per their seniority will put an additional burden of Rs 40 crore on the state exchequer," Munde added.