BMC Community Health Volunteers and ASHA Workers on Strike in Mumbai

On June 11, 2024, four thousand Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) and two thousand ASHA Workers employed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) began an indefinite strike in Mumbai. Despite the soaring heat, these frontline health workers protested for minimum wages, maternity benefits, and other demands. The CHVs, who have been employed by the BMC for the last 30 years, were affirmed as workmen under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, by the Industrial Tribunal and the Bombay High Court. However, the BMC has not implemented the court’s rulings, including paying minimum wages of INR 18,000 per month from 2015 and providing provident fund contributions and pensions from 2011. The CHVs and ASHA workers are demanding these entitlements, along with maternity benefits, fair remuneration for additional work, and a group insurance scheme. The strike and protests continue as the workers seek justice and fair treatment