Freezing retirement age order victory, say ASHA workers protesting outside Kerala Secretariat

Thiruvananthapuram | A section of ASHA workers protesting outside the Secretariat for 69 days now, on Saturday said that the Kerala government's decision to freeze the order fixing their retirement age at 62 years was a victory for their agitation.

A section of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers, led by the Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association (KAHWA), have been protesting outside the Secretariat since February 10 demanding retirement benefits and a hike in their honorarium.

M A Bindu, general secretary of KAHWA, told a TV channel here that the protesting ASHA workers were told several times by the state health minister that the order fixing their retirement age has been frozen.

"The order saying so only came out now. It is, therefore, definitely a victory for our agitation," she said.

At the same time, she said that they want the government to first announce that the age of their retirement will be 65 years and also the superannuation benefits.

"In West Bengal, the age of retirement is 65 years. However, if you retire between the age of 60 and 65 years, you get the retirement benefits. That is what we would also like to have here," she said.

Bindu also said that the protest of the ASHA workers will continue till their demand for retirement benefits and hike in honorarium is met.

The ASHA workers are also on an indefinite relay hunger strike which has entered its 29th day.