Coimbatore: More than 350 anganwadi workers, working under the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme, protested in front of the district collectorate on Monday demanding a salary hike and to make their jobs permanent as well as provide all accompanying benefits. Workers said their salary was last increased to Rs 13,300 per month in 2006. Since then prices have increased multifold. Besides, other perks attached with government jobs like pension, maternity leave of nine months and “surrender able leaves” were not available to us, they said. Many of the protesters had joined the programme during its inception in the state in 1982, they said. “Besides taking care of children in anganwadis, we distribute nutrition kits to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, cross check pregnant women who have pre-registered in the PICME programme and organize, along with village health nurses, vaccination drives for children,” said one of their spokespersons, S Shanthi.