News and labour updates from the Asia Pacific region.

The Anganwadi are pre and post natal workers – the equivalent of Australia’s midwives, early maternal healthcare nurses and early natal healthcare workers. Since the 70s, these workers have been asked to work as volunteers, and in 2017, they fought and won a long hard battle for recognition as workers. Now, 5 years later, they are fighting for increased wages and conditions.

On today's show, we interview the President of this workers union is Shivani Kaur, and the only place I could get her was directly on the picketline. The internet connection is not great and there is a lot of background noise. But the story is too important not to broadcast and I ask listeners to persist through the quality in order to hear this important story.

Asia Pacific Currents provides updates of labour struggles and campaigns from the Asia Pacific region. It is produced by Australia Asia Worker Links, in the studio of 3CR Radio in Melbourne, Australia