All Assam Mid-day meal workers in agitation mode

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The All Assam Mid Day Meal Employees' Union (AAMDMEU) has announced an agitational programme from November 1 to 4, 2023, in all educational block and district levels in support of their various demands.

The demands of the union are:

 Their honorarium should be Rs 10,000 per month, as per the Minimum Wage Act of the government.

 They want honorarium for 12 months a year.

 Ex gratia of Rs 3 lakh to each cook for mid-day meal worker who has lost his job because of the school amalgamation or meger, and other reasons.

 Providing healthcare facilities to mid-day meal workers who sustain injuries while on duty.

 They opposed the alleged move to privatise midday meals.

In a statement, All Assam Mid Day Meal Employees' Union president Bhanita Pathak said, "We get only an honorarium of Rs 1,500 each for ten months as cooks, and that too after seven or eight months. We have been working since 2005, and around 6,000 mid-day meal workers have lost their jobs for the merger of schools and other reasons. After working for such a long time, they have lost their jobs without getting any money from the government. In the event of receiving injuries while on duty, we don't get any healthcare facilities. The existing employees also have a bleak future as the government has already privatised midday meals in some areas and may hand over the remaining areas to private parties".

Pathak said, "We have moved the Chief Minister, the Finance Minister, and the Education Minister on our demands. We also resorted to agitations at the district and state levels to draw the attention of the government to our plight. However, the government is reluctant to hold talks with us to solve our problems. This has led us to take the course of agitation again."

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