Bharat Bandh Strike 2025: Key Demands & Impact
In breaking news from earlier today, India will be observing a nationwide strike, or Bharat Bandh. Over 25 crore workers are protesting across many sectors on Wednesday. The strike is organized by a coalition of 10 central labor unions. It aims to raise multiple issues including workers’ rights and the pro-corporate policies of the Union Government. The huge participation from the formal and informal sectors is expected to cause disruption to many social services.
What is the Bharat Bandh about?
The strike is being planned as a show of strength against the central government’s “anti-worker,” “anti-farmer,” and “pro-corporate” policies. In their statement, the joint forum said, “The anti-worker, anti-farmer and pro-corporate stances taken by the central and state governments are not only undermining the rights and privileges of workers. It is also affecting the lives of rural people and farmers.”
Amarjeet Kaur of the All India Trade Union Congress said, “This Bharath Bandh has participation from farmers, rural workers. Also, workers in different sectors like banking, insurance, postal services, mining and construction are protesting.”
Which industries will be impacted by the National Strike?
The involvement of 25 crore workers suggests that we could see disruption in several vital services.
The following sectors are likely to be affected:
Banking and Insurance: Both public and private institutions are involved as workers are joining the strike. This can result in banking services being affected. Although there has been no official banking holiday, the possibility exists that branch operations will be delayed or stopped altogether.
Postal Services and Coal Mining: It was indicated that significant shortfalls in the workforce in both of these industries could result in problems in mail delivery and in coal output.
Roads and Building: Employees in infrastructure development and highway construction were identified as potentially joining in strike action, which could affect any current developments.
Power Sector: As possibly much as 27 lakh workers are expected to join, power distribution and related services may be disrupted.
Public Transportation and Services
While it is expected that schools and colleges will be running normally as there has been no official indication of closures, train services may face delays assuming the railways are not faced with official cease of operations.
Road transportation in some states may also face difficulties depending on the intensity of the protest and the adhesion of workers individually in that region to the strike.
Unions State Their Demands
At the core of the Bharat Bandh are demands that highlight the many urgent issues before the Indian workforce.
These include:
- More Increase in Employment Measures
- Improvements to MGNREGA (for days of work and compensation)
- Repeal of the four new labour codes, which – the unions say – limit collective bargaining and extend working hours.
- Opposition to policies that take large business rights over worker rights (as they say, “make it easier to do business”).
The unions hold that the labour law changes lessen employer responsibility (they are less likely to be held accountable by the government for acts) and lessen protections for workers.
Today’s Bharat Bandh was one of the largest coordinated actions by labour unions that we have seen in years. In the context of the recent news updates, it is probably another signal of worker displeasure regarding government policy. The strike will probably knock public services, banking, electricity, and transportation with a cascading effect across the nation. Whether or not it leads the government to think again about policy remains to be seen, but it has certainly brought national attention to the issue of workers.
