ASHA Workers and Facilitators Union stage protest demanding release of salaries

May 19, 2026

On the call of the Democratic ASHA Workers and Facilitators Union, Gurdaspur, a large number of workers from different health blocks of Gurdaspur district gathered in front of the Civil Surgeon’s Office, Gurdaspur, under the chairmanship of Balwinder Kaur Ali Sher. The workers, enraged by the extreme heat, raised slogans against the officials of the health department.

Addressing the workers sitting on the dharna, he said that the Civil Surgeon’s Office, Gurdaspur, is not paying their salaries and allowances. The responsibility of taking extra work from the workers should be stopped, vacant posts should be filled, and the responsibility of bringing all kinds of vaccines should not be put on the ASHA workers.

Sukhdev Singh Behrampur, president of the Construction Masonry Workers Union, supported the protest and criticized the government’s anti-labor policies. Amarjit Shastri, advisor to the organization, criticized the Punjab government and said that the Punjab government does not pay even meager salaries to the workers on time.

The government, which claims to have a health revolution, has failed to fulfill its election promises. The ASHA workers, who take the health insurance scheme door to door, were not paid their due remuneration. On this occasion, the workers announced a boycott of doing extra work. Later, in a meeting with the Civil Surgeon of Gurdaspur, the officials assured that their salaries and allowances would be paid in a day or two.