Bhubaneswar: Over 25 crore workers from various sectors are likely to join the nationwide general strike called by a joint forum of 10 central trade unions on Wednesday. The workers will be from diverse sectors, ranging from banking, insurance, postal services to coal mining.
The strike has been described as a ‘Bharat Bandh’ to protest against the alleged “anti-worker, anti-farmer, and anti-national pro-corporate policies” of the Union government.
The trade unions have cited that they had taken up months of intensive preparations across formal and informal sectors for the strike. “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,” Amarjeet Kaur of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) told PTI.
“Banking, postal, coal mining, factories, and state transport services will be affected due to the strike,” added Harbhajan Singh Sidhu of the Hind Mazdoor Sabha.
The unions have a charter of 17 demands. They have submitted these demands to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya last year. The unions claim the government has ignored these demands. They also claimed that the government has failed to convene the annual labour conference for the past decade.
The forum alleged that the government’s labour reforms, including the introduction of four new labour codes, are designed to erode workers’ rights. These codes aim to dismantle collective bargaining, weaken union activities, increase working hours, and shield employers from accountability under labour laws, they alleged.
The government abandoned the welfare state status of the country, the forum claimed, adding that Cente was working in the interest of foreign and Indian corporates.
Trade unions have been protesting against “privatisation of public sector enterprises and public services, policies of outsourcing, contractorisation and casualisation of workforce”, it said.
What the trade unions claim about labour codes?
The four labour codes that have been passed by the Parliament are meant to suppress and cripple the trade union movement, the forum alleged. They also claimed that these codes will 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 joint front of the agricultural workers unions have extended support to this strike.
