Ten Central Trade Unions Call For Bharat Bandh On Wednesday: 25 Crore Workers Expected To Strike Work

Over 25 crore workers from banking, insurance, postal services, coal mining, and other sectors will join a nationwide general strike on Wednesday (9 July), disrupting key public services, reported Hindustan Times.

Ten central trade unions have called this 'Bharat Bandh' to protest what they describe as the central government’s “anti-worker, anti-farmer, and anti-national pro-corporate policies.”

Unions say they have conducted months of preparations across formal and informal sectors to ensure the strike’s success. Amarjeet Kaur of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) told PTI: “More than 25 crore workers are expected to take part in the strike. Farmers and rural workers will also join the protest across the country.”

Authorities have already set up barricades at key sites such as the Ghazipur border in Ghaziabad to manage potential disruptions.

Harbhajan Singh Sidhu of the Hind Mazdoor Sabha said, “Banking, postal, coal mining, factories, and state transport services will be affected due to the strike.”

At the center of the protest is a 17-point charter of demands submitted last year to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. Unions accuse the government of ignoring these demands and not convening the annual labour conference for a decade.

In a joint statement, the forum criticised recent labour reforms, arguing the four new labour codes are designed to erode workers’ rights. The statement said these codes would suppress and cripple the trade union movement, increase working hours, snatch workers' right to collective bargaining, right to strike, and decriminalise violation of labour laws by employers.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha and agricultural workers’ unions have pledged strong support with rural mobilisations.

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