Bharat Bandh Today: Over 25 Crore Workers Join Nationwide Strike, Public Services Hit

From banking and transport to coal mining and postal services, essential sectors grind to a halt as trade unions protest “anti-worker” policies of the central government.

New Delhi, July 8, 2025:
India is witnessing a massive industrial and civic disruption today as more than 25 crore workers from across sectors participate in a Bharat Bandh, protesting the central government’s labour policies. The one-day nationwide general strike has been called by a joint platform of 10 central trade unions, supported by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and agricultural workers’ federations.

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The unions are protesting what they describe as “anti-worker, anti-farmer, and anti-national pro-corporate policies” being aggressively pursued by the government.

Which Sectors Are Impacted?

The strike is expected to severely disrupt public services, including:

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• Banking operations
• Insurance
• Postal services
• Coal mining
• Transport services in various states
• Factory output in key industrial clusters

“Months of preparation across formal and informal sectors are culminating today. We expect participation from over 25 crore workers and large-scale mobilisations in rural India,” said Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC).

The Demands and Discontent

At the centre of the unrest lies a 17-point charter of demands submitted to Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. Trade unions allege that the government has ignored repeated calls for negotiation and has not convened the annual labour conference in over a decade.

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Among their key demands:

• Rollback of the four new labour codes
• Opposition to privatisation of public sector enterprises
• End to contractualisation and outsourcing in government services
• Restoration of the welfare-state ethos

The Labour Code Controversy

The central government’s four labour codes—which merge 29 existing labour laws—have been a particular flashpoint.

Union leaders argue these codes:

• Curtail collective bargaining
• Allow extension of working hours
• Weaken unionisation rights
• Decriminalise violations of labour law by employers
• Strip workers of the right to strike

“The government has clearly sided with corporates—both Indian and foreign. These reforms are meant to dismantle our rights under the pretext of simplifying the labour structure,” said Harbhajan Singh Sidhu of Hind Mazdoor Sabha.

Farmer Solidarity and Past Strikes

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha and rural labour groups have backed today’s bandh. Mass rallies are being organised in agricultural belts, marking a rare solidarity between India’s urban workforce and rural peasantry.

This is not the first such show of force:

• November 26, 2020
• March 28-29, 2022
• February 16, 2024

Each of these strikes saw widespread participation and intermittent clashes with police forces in parts of the country.

What To Expect Today

Expect delays in banking transactions, limited bus and train services in some states, lower attendance in offices and factories, and slower courier and postal deliveries.

Security has been tightened in key metro cities, and police barricades have been set up at sensitive borders, including Ghazipur in Delhi-NCR.

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Tags:
Bharat Bandh, Trade Unions Strike, Labour Code Protest, Banking Services Disrupted, India Nationwide Strike, Workers Protest, Public Sector Privatization, Farmers Support Bharat Bandh, Central Government Policies, 25 Crore Workers Strike, AITUC, Samyukta Kisan Morcha