Govt ready to hold talks with ASHA workers; invites NHM director

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government is ready to hold talks with the ASHA workers, who are on indefinite strike in front of the secretariat. The government decided to hold talks with them after they announced to stage a hunger strike tomorrow. The talks will be held at the National Health Mission (NHM) office at 12.30 pm today.

It is not clear whether anyone from the ministerial level will partake in the talks. The NHM director invited them for the talks. The government has called for talks again on the 38th day since the ASHA workers strike began. The talks with the ASHA workers earlier were not successful.

The ASHA workers announced a hunger strike the other day as the next phase of their strike. The strike committee had announced that the hunger strike would begin on the 20th of this month. The ASHA workers had blockaded the secretariat as part of intensifying the protest on the day the strike entered its 36th day.