Bharat Bandh on 09 July: Trade unions forum calls for Bharat Bandh against govt policies tomorrow

“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,” said Amarjeet Kaur from All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC).

Harbhajan Singh Sidhu from Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) said banking, postal, coal mining, factories and state transport services will be affected due to the strike.

Apart from AITUC, Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), HMS, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC), Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) and United Trade Union Congress (UTUC) are part of the forum.

In a statement, the workers’ union forum said it had last year submitted a charter of 17 demands to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya..

It alleged that the government has not been conducting the annual labour conference for the last 10 years and continues to take decisions in contravention to the interest of labour force, attempting to impose the four new labour codes to weaken collective bargaining, to cripple union activities and to favour employers in the name of “ease of doing business”.

The forum also alleged that the economic policies are resulting in increased unemployment, rising prices of essentials, decrease in wages, cut in social sector spending in education, health, basic civic amenities, and all these are leading to more inequalities and miseries for poor, people of lower income group as well as the middle class.

“The government has abandoned the welfare state status of the country. It is working in the interest of foreign and Indian corporates, and it is evident from the policies being pursued vigorously,” said the forum.

Referring to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, the forum said: “The attack on democratic rights continues more vigorously by this ruling regime and now the attempt to de-franchise the migrant workers is being designed, beginning with Bihar as an immediate case. The misuse of constitutional bodies is rampant to suppress voices of opposition, the enactments in some states to control and criminalise mass movements is on the cards; the Public Security Bill in Maharashtra and similar enactments in the state of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh etc are the pointers. Now the attempt to snatch citizenship is on the cards.”

Trade unions have been fighting against “privatisation of public sector enterprises and public services, policies of outsourcing, contractorisation and casualisation of workforce”, it said.

The four labour codes that have been passed by Parliament are meant to “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 statement said.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha and joint front of agricultural workers unions have extended support to the July 9 banch call and decided to make massive mobilsations in rural India, the union leaders said.

Trade unions had earlier observed similar nationwide strikes on November 26, 2020, March 28-29, 2022 and on February 16 last year.