Saturday, March 29, 2025
New Delhi, July 8, 2025: Preparations are underway for a massive nationwide strike on Wednesday, with over 25 crore (250 million) workers from various sectors expected to participate. Termed a Bharat Bandh, the strike has been called by 10 major central trade unions to protest against the government’s “anti-worker, anti-farmer, and pro-corporate” policies.
The strike is set to disrupt essential services such as banking, insurance, postal services, coal mining, public transport, and manufacturing units. Trade union leaders claim this will be one of the largest industrial actions in recent years.
Banking and Insurance
Postal Services
Coal and Non-Coal Mining
Factory Operations
Public Sector Enterprises
State Government Departments
Transport and Urban Utilities
The unions are protesting:
Rising unemployment
Declining real wages
Sharp price inflation in essential goods
Reduction in public spending on health, education, and basic services
Lack of new job creation, especially for youth
Privatization of public sector undertakings
Non-regular appointments in government services
The platform of trade unions says the government has ignored their 17-point charter of demands, submitted to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya last year. AITUC’s Amarjeet Kaur stated that the government has not held the annual labour conference in over a decade, undermining labour rights.
According to Hind Mazdoor Sabha’s Harbhajan Singh Sidhu, the economic policies of the current regime have widened income inequality and failed to deliver secure employment, especially to India’s youth—65% of whom are under 35 years.
The Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme, touted by the government, is being criticized as favouring corporate employers over meaningful public job creation.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha and agricultural labour unions have declared their support for the strike. Protests are expected in rural areas as well, calling for more rural employment, better wages under MGNREGA, and similar employment legislation for urban areas.
Workers from NMDC Limited, non-coal mineral industries, steel plants, and state government-run sectors have also announced participation.
This is not the first such action. Similar all-India strikes were held on November 26, 2020, March 28–29, 2022, and February 16, 2024, indicating persistent discontent among labour organizations.
In Summary:
India braces for a sweeping general strike on Wednesday, with 25 crore workers preparing to halt key sectors in protest. The Bharat Bandh reflects growing frustration with government policies affecting jobs, wages, and essential services.
