A countrywide Scheme Workers strike was held on 17 January 2018 during which about 60 lakh Scheme Workers organized dharnas, protest marches and meetings at various District HQs across the country and submitted memorandums to the Finance Minister through the District Collector. The main demands were: implementation of the 45th ILC recommendations; Rs 18,000 minimum wages; social security including Rs 3000 monthly pension, ESI and EPF; adequate financial allocation in the Union budget 2018-19 for Centrally sponsored Schemes; no privatization of the Schemes in any form and no subversion by way of cash transfer or exclusion of beneficiaries.
In Uttarakhand, protests were organized during the strike and rallies were taken out by Scheme Workers in large numbers. The Uttarakhand ASHA Health Workers Union and Uttarakhand Anganwadi Karmachari Union, affiliated to AICCTU, took out rallies in Haldwani, Rudrapur, Bajpur, Dhari, Sitarganj, Khatima, Pithoragarh, Champawat, Sult (Almora), Berinag, Tanakpur and other places, and submitted their memorandum to the President of India.
In Bihar Scheme Workers took part in large numbers in the strike and held rallies, protest marches and meetings at various Blocks of Patna Rural, and Arwal, Nalanda, Jehanabad, Bhojpur, Buxar and Darbhanga Districts. ASHA workers organization leader Com. Shashi Yadav led the protests in Darbhanga.
In Jharkhand, protests were led by Sahiya Sangathan leader Com. Geeta Mandal at Devghar. In Chhattisgarh, ICDS workers under the leadership of Com. Uma Netam gave a memorandum of demands to the Collector of Korba in Chhattisgarh.
