
'Bharat Bandh' today: What's open, what's closed
What's the story
A nationwide strike or "Bharat Bandh" has been called on Wednesday by a joint forum of 10 central trade unions. The strike is expected to see participation from over 25 crore workers, according to All India Trade Union Congress member Amarjeet Kaur. The workers cut across various sectors, including banking, insurance, postal services, coal mining, and construction. The protest is against the Union government's policies, which the unions claim are "anti-worker," "anti-farmer," and "anti-national pro-corporate."
Strike demands
Demand for minimum wage of ₹26,000
The trade unions are demanding a minimum wage of ₹26,000 and the restoration of the old pension scheme. They have also demanded more jobs and better implementation of MGNREGA. Affected sectors include banking, where services may be disrupted despite no official holiday announcement. Schools and colleges are likely to remain open, as no such notification has been issued for educational institutions.
Transport impact
Public transport, rail services likely to be affected
Public transport services such as buses, taxis, and app-based cabs could be affected due to the protests. Trade unions have called for demonstrations across states, which may lead to delays and cancelations in transport services. Rail operations could also face disruptions with possible delays in train schedules. However, there is no official announcement of a complete shutdown of railway services during this period.
Service disruptions
Power services also likely to be impacted
Power services could also be impacted, as 27 lakh workers from the sector are expected to join the strike. The unions have accused the government of favoring employers in the name of "ease of doing business," a charge leveled against new labor codes. These codes are alleged to dismantle collective bargaining and increase working hours while shielding employers from accountability.
Petition
Forum has urged workers to make 'strike a grand success'
In a statement, the forum has urged workers to make "the nationwide general strike a grand success." It stated that it submitted its demands to Union Labor Minister Mansukh Mandaviya last year, but there has been no serious response. It further claimed that the government had not conducted the annual labor conference in a decade and was instead enacting labor laws that would weaken collective bargaining, cripple union activities, and benefit employers in the name of "ease of doing business."