Mid-Day Meal Workers in Himachal Pradesh Protest for Salary Reforms

Statewide Protests by Mid-Day Meal Workers

Mid-Day Meal Workers Union, affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), staged protests across several blocks in Himachal Pradesh on Friday, demanding payment of 12 months’ salary instead of distributing their 10-month wages over 12 months and seeking fulfilment of other long-pending demands. The protests were held in response to a call by the union’s state committee.

Demonstrations were organised in several districts, with workers submitting memorandums to the Director of Education, seeking resolution of their demands. In Shimla, mid-day meal workers staged a demonstration outside the Directorate of Education. CITU state president Vijender Mehra, state treasurer Jagat Ram, district treasurer Bal Ram, district secretary Vivek Kashyap, union state general secretary Shanti Devi, Chandrakanta, Bala, Satya, Suman, Subhadra, Pushpa, Meena, Sunita and several other workers participated in the protest. A delegation of the union subsequently reached the Directorate to meet the Director of Education. However, in the absence of the director, the union decided to seek a meeting in the coming days to discuss the demands of mid-day meal workers.

Concerns Over Wages and Working Conditions

Addressing the protesters, union leaders said the practice of distributing the salary payable for 10 months over a period of 12 months had resulted in a reduction in the monthly payments received by workers, describing it as gross injustice. They demanded that the state government implement the Himachal Pradesh High Court’s decisions by its single and double benches, which, according to the union, had ruled in favour of providing mid-day meal workers with 12 months’ salary instead of 10 months.

The union also demanded that workers receive their full wages together, that they not be removed from service under the school cluster scheme, and that their salaries be paid on time every month. It further sought medical check-ups for workers and a positive resolution of their service-related issues.

Specific Demands and Structural Grievances

The union leaders said around 21,000 mid-day meal workers prepare meals for children in government schools across Himachal Pradesh. They alleged that workers were not given holidays throughout the year and were sometimes made to wait for up to three months for their wages. They also raised concerns over the condition that schools must have at least 25 children for the employment of a mid-day meal worker, saying workers were frequently removed from service when student numbers fell below the prescribed threshold.

The union alleged that mid-day meal workers were assigned to prepare food for polling personnel during elections without receiving any additional remuneration. It further said workers were not provided gratuity or pension benefits upon retirement. Although medical check-ups were conducted three times a year, the Education Department did not reimburse the expenses incurred on medical tests and travel, it alleged.

The union put forward a charter of demands, including payment of 12 months’ salary in accordance with the High Court decisions, a monthly honorarium of Rs 7,000 on the lines of Haryana, and 20 days of annual leave on the pattern of Anganwadi workers. Other demands include removal of the 25-student condition for employment, provision of gratuity and pension after retirement, and reimbursement of all medical examination expenses by the Education Department.

The workers also demanded extension of the mid-day meal scheme to students up to Class 12, payment of the entire monthly salary in one instalment by the first day of every month, and additional remuneration for preparing meals for polling parties during elections. The union further called for a policy to regularise the services of mid-day meal workers.

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