Bharat Bandh today: Get ready for power troubles as electricity workers to join strike against Modi govt

A forum of 10 central trade unions launched a nationwide strike on Wednesday, impacting key services such as postal, banking, electricity, and public transport, among others.

The unions claim that around 25 crore workers are being mobilised for the "general strike" to protest against the new labour codes and raise concerns over several other issues.

Electricity services to be hit

She said banking, postal, and electricity services will be affected by the strike.

She said copper and coal mining will be hit, while the impact will also be felt on public transport in several states.

She further said the farmers' unions in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan will also hold protest in their areas.

The unions' demands include doing away with the 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.

Why Are the Workers Protesting?
The protesting unions say they had earlier submitted a 17-point demand charter to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, but no meaningful action has followed.

They accuse the government of:
Not conducting the annual labour conference for 10 years
Trying to weaken trade unions through new labour codes
Increasing working hours and reducing workers’ rights
Promoting privatisation and contractual jobs
Ignoring demands for more recruitments and better wages
Offering benefits to employers under ELI (Employment Linked Incentive) schemes, instead of solving youth unemployment

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha and agricultural workers’ unions are backing the strike. They plan to mobilise support in rural areas and raise voices against the government’s economic decisions which, they say, are worsening unemployment, increasing prices, and reducing social welfare spending.