New Delhi, July 8:India is bracing for a massive industrial shutdown on Wednesday as over 25 crore (250 million) workers from key sectors—including banking, insurance, postal services, coal mining, and transport—gear up for a nationwide general strike. The strike, described as a “Bharat Bandh,” has been called by a joint platform of 10 central trade unions to protest against the central government’s “anti-worker, anti-farmer, and pro-corporate” policies.
The unprecedented mobilization follows months of intense groundwork across both the organized and unorganized sectors. “More than 25 crore workers are expected to join. Farmers and rural workers will also participate in protests across the country,” said Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), speaking to PTI.
The all-India strike is expected to severely disrupt essential public services and production in core industries. “Operations in banks, postal services, coal mines, factories, and state-run transport systems are likely to be hit,” noted Harbhajan Singh Sidhu of the Hind Mazdoor Sabha.
Core Demands and Opposition to Labour Codes
Central to the protest is a 17-point charter of demands submitted to Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya last year. Trade unions allege the government has failed to respond meaningfully and has not convened the Indian Labour Conference for a decade—an omission they say reflects growing indifference to workers' concerns.
In a joint statement, the forum of trade unions criticized the government’s recent labour reforms, particularly the four new labour codes passed by Parliament. These, they claim, are designed to dilute long-standing worker protections. “The new codes are a direct attack on collective bargaining rights, unionisation, and job security. They extend working hours and decriminalize employer violations of labour laws,” the statement read.
The unions further condemned what they termed the systematic erosion of the public sector, citing privatisation, outsourcing, contractual employment, and casualisation of labour. “The government has abandoned its commitment to a welfare state and is aggressively advancing the interests of domestic and foreign corporate entities,” the unions alleged.
Broad-Based Support
The strike has received strong backing from the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and other federations of agricultural labourers. Union leaders confirmed plans for mass mobilisations across rural India to amplify the impact of the strike.
This latest strike adds to a series of coordinated national protests held in recent years, including major walkouts on November 26, 2020; March 28–29, 2022; and February 16, 2024.
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