Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA), the Indian circle of the People’s Health Movement (PHM), announced its support for the historic general strike on Thursday, February 12.
Read more: 300 million on the streets in a historic national strike in India
Echoing demands put forward by trade unions and farmers’ associations, JSA protested against recently passed trade deals that jeopardize the rights of workers and patients in India. They also demanded the rollback of highly contested labor codes ushered in by the far-right Modi government.
“Passed despite mass strikes and trade union opposition, the legislation prioritizes corporate interests over workers and public welfare,” JSA stated, emphasizing the impact such changes will have on crucial health and care workers.
“ASHAs, Anganwadi workers/helpers, and contractual health staff – who deliver maternal/child health, immunization, nutrition services, and vital health information – are misclassified as volunteers,” the health network pointed out. “The labor codes offer no protection for these millions of important workers, who will continue to face meager honoraria, being denied minimum wages and social security, and lack of job security despite full-time workloads and heroic contributions during the pandemic.”
Watch: ‘Modi govt says our work is essential, but calls us volunteers’
JSA also warned that the health of all workers is at risk under the new labor codes, as they do not differentiate between different risks faced by workers in particular sectors – unlike previous legislation, which took into account the specificities of sectors including shipbuilding, construction, plantation work, and journalism. Additionally, the new labor laws allow different states to regulate health and safety at work in different ways, exposing “workers of the same industry and trade to being governed by different rules in different states” and “opening the door to inequities in protection of labor, unlike the previous situation of uniform basic protections.”
“JSA supports ASHAs, Anganwadi Workers and Helpers, and contractual workers within the health and social sectors, in their fight for justice, dignity, and recognition,” the network concluded. “All health workers – permanent, contractual, scheme-based, or outsourced – must be assured equal and adequate protections, clear employer accountability, safe working hours, and full social security coverage. Instead of deregulation that prioritizes employer interests, India requires a rights-based labor framework which guarantees enforceable occupational health and safety standards across all workplaces, irrespective of size or employment status.”
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