Vehicles stuck in a traffic jam during a protest by members of various left-wing organisations and trade unions amid a 24-hour nationwide general strike called by trade unions against the central government's alleged anti-labour policies, in Ranchi, Wednesday, July 9. PTI
Bharat Bandh: Over 25 crore workers joined strike, say trade unions
Mixed response across the country; Many parts of Kerala, ruled by the CPI(M), come to a standstill
Normal life was not affected in most parts of the country due to a nationwide strike called by several trade unions to protest against labour policies of the central government, though some sporadic incidents of violence were reported from West Bengal.
However, the trade unions claimed that the strike was successful, and a large number of workers abstained from work, impacting the postal, banking, insurance, and mining sectors. They claimed that more than 25 crore workers were being mobilised for the "general strike" in protest against the new labour codes, along with other issues.
Although the agitation remained by and large peaceful, reports of violence were received from pockets of West Bengal after Left-wing activists clashed with police and TMC supporters in various districts.
In a statement, a forum of 10 trade unions said there was a bandh-like situation in many areas of the country, like Puducherry, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Kerala, West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, Goa, Meghalaya, and Manipur etc. Reports of partial bandhs were also received in many segments of Rajasthan, Haryana, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, among others.
There were industrial and sectoral strikes held in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Gujarat, it added.
They have called the one-day strike in support of their demand for doing away with four labour codes, contractualisation, privatisation of PSUs, increasing minimum wages to Rs 26,000 per month, as well as the demands of farmer organisations for minimum support price for crops based on Swaminathan commission's formula of C2 plus 50 per cent, and loan waiver for farmers. The forum had last year submitted a 17-point demand to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
The government has not been conducting the annual labour conference for the last 10 years, the forum claimed.
In the national capital, the markets across the national capital remained open on Wednesday, and the bandh had no impact on Delhi's commercial activity, said the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT)."All 700 markets and 56 industrial areas in Delhi are functioning as usual," said CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal.
There were reports of the strike impacting a few select services in Kerala, Jharkhand, and Puducherry.
Many parts of Kerala, ruled by the CPI(M), came to a standstill due to the strike. The strike has received strong support from trade unions and Left-leaning organisations in the state.
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- 9 July 2025 1:27 PM IST
Workers in Goa made to slog for 14-6 hours a day, says AITUC leader
Industrial workers in the coastal state of Goa are being made to toil for 14-16 hours a day without any additional payment, claimed All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) secretary Suhas Naik on Wednesday.
He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a nationwide protest against the “anti-labour and farmer policies” of the state and central governments.
Several people gathered at Azad Maidan in Panaji in the morning to participate in the pan-India “general strike” called by several central trade unions and farmers’ organisations in protest against the new labour codes and other issues.
“How will Chief Minister Pramod Sawant defend the indefensible? Workers are being made to work for 14 to 16 hours in industrial estates without overtime,” said Naik.
He said that labour unions have filed several complaints against company managements, but no action is being taken.
“Complaints are being put into cold storage, forcing workers to approach courts to seek justice,” he said.
In his address to the crowd, Naik accused the BJP-led NDA government of dismantling existing labour protections through the enforcement of four new labour codes, which he called “exploitative” and “pro-corporate”.
“These codes undermine decades of hard-won labour rights and increase inequality and exploitation,” he said.
The AITUC leader said that the state government has been repeatedly using the Goa Essential Services and Maintenance Act (ESMA) to scuttle strikes in the pharmaceutical sector, one of the prime drivers of the state's economy.
- 9 July 2025 12:11 PM IST
Nationwide strike: Essential services remain mostly unaffected across the country
Employees and workers associated with 10 central trade unions went on a daylong strike on Wednesday but essential services remained unaffected.
There were reports of the strike impacting a select few services in Kerala, Jharkhand, and Puducherry.
- 9 July 2025 12:08 PM IST
Bharat bandh in Bengal: Clashes erupt, police detain protesters
Supporters of a countrywide general strike called by 10 central trade unions on Wednesday scuffled with the police at a few places in West Bengal even as additional security forces were deployed to ensure normal life.
The strike, supported by Left parties in the state, was called against "liberalisation, price rise of essentials, joblessness, increase in contractual work and other issues".
DYFI and CPI(M) workers scuffled with the police in Ganguly Bagan area in south Kolkata as they tried to sit on the thoroughfare.
Police detained some strike supporters, including SFI leader Srijan Bhattacharya, who alleged that police used force to remove them when they were holding peaceful protests.
In Malda town, Left supporters were stopped as they took out a march in support of the strike. Police were seen resorting to baton charge to remove supporters of the strike when they tried to block a road at Domjur in Howrah.
In north Bengal, police removed supporters of the strike from the roads when they tried to resort to blockades. Strike supporters also tried to block train movement at some places in the state.
Supporters of the strike, which began at 6 am, tried to block train movement at Diamond Harbour in the Sealdah South section and Shyamnagar in the North Section of Eastern Railways' Sealdah division.
The West Bengal government made additional transport arrangements and security deployment to ensure that normal life was not impacted during a countrywide general strike called by 10 central trade unions and supported by the Left parties in the state on Wednesday.
- 9 July 2025 11:42 AM IST
Rahul leads oppn march to Patna's EC office against special intensive revision of electoral rolls
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday led a Mahagathbandhan march to the Election Commission's office in Patna to protest the ongoing special intensive revision of electoral rolls before the Bihar assembly polls.
The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, who arrived in the state capital in the morning, was accompanied by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI general secretary D Raja and senior leaders of other opposition parties.
Gandhi, along with the other leaders, were atop a vehicle during the protest march which started at Income Tax Golambar in Patna.
Rail and road traffic were disrupted in parts of Bihar as workers of opposition parties hit the streets to enforce a statewide bandh called by the Mahagathbandhan.
A large number of Opposition party leaders blocked the movement of road traffic on Patna's Mahatma Gandhi Setu by burning tyres.
Independent Lok Sabha MP from Purnea, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, along with his supporters, reached Sachiwalay Halt railway station and tried to disrupt the movement of railway traffic.
Yadav's supporters blocked rail and road traffic in several parts of Patna as well as in other parts of the state, including Araria, Purnea, Katihar and Muzaffarpur.
Speaking to reporters in Patna, he said, "The Election Commission, through its special intensive revision of electoral rolls, is snatching voting rights from migrants, Dalits, Mahadalits, and poor voters. It's a conspiracy to block votes ahead of the Bihar assembly polls due later this year." Workers from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, CPI(ML) Liberation and CPM burnt tyres and blocked roads in support of the Bihar Bandh in Arwal, Jehanabad and Darbhanga as well.
Meanwhile, adequate security arrangements have been made for bypolls to nagar panchayats in different parts of Patna district.
- 9 July 2025 11:34 AM IST
Shops closed, private buses, autos off roads in Puducherry
Privately operated buses, autos and tempos were off the roads in Puducherry on Wednesday due to the nationwide strike called by 10 trade unions to oppose the central government's policies, including the four new labour codes.
The managements of private schools declared a holiday as a precautionary measure, a source said.
Shops, establishments, vegetable and fish markets remained closed.
Attendance in government offices was monitored by the heads of departments. They were asked to furnish details of employees who are absent today without fail, sources said.
Staff reached the workplaces on two-wheelers.
The territorial administration, through an order, warned the staff and employees that any absence without prior permission would be dealt with under Conduct rules and "unauthorised absence of employees would be treated as a break in service." Major shopping centres in the town limits presented a forlorn look, with shop owners downing the shutters in response to the call for the strike.
Members and leaders of various trade unions held roadroko at various points and courted arrest.
Police were deployed in strength at vantage points.
Government buses were operated in batches. There was no disruption to power and water supply.
- 9 July 2025 11:28 AM IST
Left parties protest in Chennai
#WATCH | Chennai | Left parties stage a protest against the Central government in Guindy as part of 'Bharat Bandh' call pic.twitter.com/xQCna7o9Ee
— ANI (@ANI) July 9, 2025
