On August 7 and 8, around six lakh Accredited Social Health Activists or ASHA workers, along with other trade unions across India, went on strike. The ASHA workers’ union demanded better pay and the status of a government employee.
While they form the first-response team in India’s fight against COVID-19 in rural and urban slum areas, ASHA workers allege that they have not been given any PPE kits, despite regular demands since March, and both the Central and state governments are shrugging off their responsibilities.