New Delhi, July 8: Over 25 crore workers across key sectors including banking, insurance, postal services, coal mining, and highways are set to participate in a nationwide strike on Wednesday, July 9, protesting what they call the Government’s “pro-corporate policies.” The strike, referred to as Bharat Bandh, has been called by a joint forum of 10 central trade unions and could cause widespread service disruptions across the country.
Trade union leaders confirmed that employees in both organised and unorganised sectors are expected to join the strike. According to Amarjeet Kaur of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), farmers and rural labourers will also participate in solidarity.
The workers are demanding urgent steps from the government to tackle unemployment, including filling vacant government posts, creating urban employment schemes similar to MGNREGA, increasing the number of MGNREGA workdays, and raising wages. They have also criticized the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme, claiming it benefits employers more than workers.
A list of these demands was submitted to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya last year, but union leaders say no action has been taken.
The All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) has confirmed that bank employees will join the strike. As a result, banking and insurance services may be severely affected, particularly in states with strong union presence. Customers are advised to check with their local branches before visiting.
Postal services, coal mining, highway projects, and some state transport services are also expected to face disruptions. Harbhajan Singh Sidhu, a senior trade union leader, said that factories and construction sites may also see a slowdown or shutdown during the strike.
Despite the scale of the protest, no official holiday has been declared for banks, government offices, or educational institutions. Schools and colleges are expected to remain open, as no state has issued closure notices.
Government offices will also function as usual, although work in departments connected to the protesting sectors may be delayed.
The trade unions have urged nationwide support to make the July 9 general strike a “grand success” and press the government to revise its labour and employment policies. (Agencies)
