Today neither banks will open nor will it run? 25 crore employees are going on strike, country will come to a standstill!

Nationwide strike: More than 25 crore employees from banking, insurance, postal services to coal mining are expected to participate in the nationwide strike today. The strike, convened by a joint platform of 10 central trade unions, has been termed as ‘Bharat Bandh’. This strike is being done in protest against the central government’s “anti -labor, anti -farmer and anti -national corporate policies”.

Trade unions have called for the nationwide general strike to be a major success, citing months of intensive preparations in formal and informal areas. Amarjeet Kaur of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) said, “More than 25 crore employees are expected to participate in the strike. Farmers and rural workers will also participate in protests across the country.”

Which services will be affected?

This comprehensive action is likely to have a serious impact on major public services and industries. Harbhajan Singh Sidhu of Hind Mazdoor Sabha said, “Banking, postal, coal mining, factory and state transport services will be affected due to the strike.”

The root cause of the protest is a charter of 17 demands submitted by the unions to Labor Minister Mansukh Mandavia last year. Unions claim that the government has ignored these demands and has failed to call the annual labor conference for the last decade. He says that this step shows the government’s apathy towards the labor force.

Resentment over labor codes

In a joint statement, the forum alleged that the government’s labor reforms, including the introduction of four new labor codes, are designed to eliminate the rights of workers. Unions argue that these codes are to eliminate collective bargaining, weaken the activities of the Sangh, increase work hours and protect employers from accountability under labor laws.

Opposition to government policies

The forum said that the government has abandoned the state of the welfare state of the country and is working in the interest of foreign and Indian corporates, and it is clear from its policies, which are being strictly carried forward. It states that trade unions are fighting against “privatization of public sector enterprises and public services, outsourcing, contracting and policies of workforce”.

The statement said that the four labor code passed by Parliament is to suppress and cripp the movement, increase working hours, collective bargaining rights, to take away the right to strike, take away the rights of strike and to make violation of labor laws non-criminal by employers. Unions leaders said that the United Kisan Morcha and the United Front of Agricultural Labor Unions have supported this strike action and decided to mobilize largely in rural India.

Trade unions first launched similar nationwide strikes on 26 November 2020, on 28–29 March 2022 and on 16 February last year.

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