Bhubaneswar: A massive countrywide strike has brought essential public services to a standstill today as more than 25 crore workers from across sectors joined the Bharat Bandh. The protest, called by a coalition of 10 central trade unions, is backed by farmers' organisations and rural workers' groups.

The unions are protesting against what they describe as the Central Government’s “anti-worker, anti-farmer and pro-corporate” policies. Major disruptions have been reported in banking services, postal operations, coal mining, public transport, and power supply across multiple states.

The strike has severely impacted key sectors:

1. Banking and insurance services across both public and private sector branches have slowed down, with several branches remaining shut and ATMs facing cash shortages.

2. Postal services have been disrupted as postal workers joined the strike.

3. State-run transport services in several cities are either operating at reduced capacity or have come to a complete halt.

4. Industrial production, especially in coal mines and factories, has been affected.

5. Power supply may face interruptions, as over 27 lakh power sector employees are reportedly participating in the strike.

While there is no formal bank holiday, the Bengal Provincial Bank Employees Association and members of the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) confirmed widespread participation in the strike across financial institutions.

Train services continue to operate, but delays have been reported in some regions due to protests near railway tracks or logistical bottlenecks.

Protest Beyond Organised Labour

The movement has gone beyond traditional trade unions, with informal sector workers, self-employed groups such as the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), and rural communities lending their support.

“Farmers and rural workers will also join the protest across the country,” said Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC). “The government has ignored our 17-point demand list. It hasn’t even held the Indian Labour Conference in the last decade.”

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, which led the nationwide farmers’ movement in 2020–21, has expressed solidarity, marking this as a broader people’s resistance against recent labour reforms and privatisation.

Opposition to Labour Codes, Privatisation at Core

At the heart of the agitation is the opposition to the four labour codes passed by Parliament. Trade unions claim these laws dilute worker protections by:

1. Making it harder to call legal strikes.

2. Allowing longer working hours.

3. Weakening enforcement mechanisms against employers violating labour laws.

4. Promoting contractual and outsourced employment, reducing job security.

Protesters are also opposing the Centre’s push to privatise public sector undertakings (PSUs) and what they describe as a systematic attempt to dismantle job security in both organised and unorganised sectors.

The nationwide strike has drawn participation from:

All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC)

Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC)

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU)

Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS)

Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)

Labour Progressive Federation (LPF)

United Trade Union Congress (UTUC)

Support has also come from PSU employees, including those from NMDC Ltd, steel plants, and the Indian Railways.

What's Open

Despite the widespread disruption, schools, colleges, private offices, and train services remain mostly functional. However, authorities have warned of sporadic disruptions due to local protests or road blockades.