Bengaluru, 8 July

Over 25 crore workers across different formal and informal sectors including banking, insurance, postal services, coal mining, construction, and state transport will join a Bharat Bandh on 9 July, disrupting various services across the country.

A joint platform of 10 central trade unions has called the bandh in protest against the government’s anti-worker, anti-farmer and pro-corporate policies. Farmers’ groups and rural workers’ association have also landed their support to the bandh.

Leaders from major unions, including All India Trade Union Congress, Indian National Trade Union Congress, Centre of Indian Trade Unions, and Hind Mazdoor Sabha will participate in the protest against key issues like imposition of the four new labour codes, privatisation of public sector units and essential services, outsourcing and contractualisation of permanent jobs, weakening of collective bargaining rights and union activities and organising labour conference. No labour conference has been held in a decade. 

The unions had earlier submitted a 17-point charter of demands to the Union Labour Ministry. However, they are yet to receive a response from the Centre.

With no official government holiday being declared, key services are expected to be disrupted in across the country.

This Bharat Bandh comes ahead of state assembly elections later this year.  It is a reflection of rising discontent among worker and farmer groups over their concerns not being addressed.

The services that will be affected during the Bharat Bandh are public sector and cooperative banks, insurance services, postal deliveries, power supply in select states, public transport, especially in states with a strong union presence and coal mining and industrial production in unionised sectors.

However, all educational institutions, private offices, businesses, healthcare facilities and other emergency services and security arrangements and government response will be available to the public.

What will be shut?

•             Banks and financial services.

•             Postal services.

•             Coal and mining factories.

•             State transport services. Public buses, taxis, and app-based cabs to likely be hit too.

•             Public sector undertakings.

What will remain open?

•             All Educational institutions, including all schools and colleges

•             Private offices.

•             Private businesses.

•             Hospitals.

•             Emergency services.

•             Neighbourhood shops.