Bharat Bandh on July 9: Over 25 crore workers including those employed with public services sectors like banking, insurance, postal and construction are set to go on a nationwide strike on Wednesday.
The Bharat Bandh tomorrow may potentially disrupt services across the country, as many workers from several unions will be protesting the “anti-worker, anti-farmer and anti-national pro-corporate policies of the government”.
A forum of 10 central trade unions and their associates has called for a general strike or ‘Bharat Bandh’ on July 9.
The forum in a statement has urged workers to make “the nationwide general strike a grand success”. It has also said that preparations by unions in all sectors of formal and informal/unorganised economy are underway.
“More than 25 crore workers are expected to take part in the strike. Farmers and rural workers will also join the protest across the country,” Amarjeet Kaur from All India Trade Union Congress was quoted as saying by PTI.
The forum had last year submitted a charter of 17-point demand to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandavia, the workers’ union forum said in its latest statement.
Why is there a Bharat Bandh tomorrow?
In its statement, the forum of unions has alleged that the government has not been conducting the annual labour conference for the last 10 years and continues to take decisions in contravention to the interest of labour force, attempting to impose four labour codes to weaken collective bargaining, to cripple unions’ activities and to favour employers in the name of ‘ease of doing business’.
The government has abandoned the welfare state status of the country and is working in the interest of foreign and Indian corporates, and it is so evident from its policies being pursued vigorously, the forum said.
Trade unions have been fighting against “privatisation of public sector enterprises and public services, policies of outsourcing, contractorisation and casualisation of workforce”, it said.
Are banks, schools, colleges open tomorrow?
Banking, postal, coal mining, factories, state transport services will be affected due to the strike, Harbhajan Singh Sidhu from Hind Mazdoor Sabha was quoted as saying by PTI.
Moreover, an association of bank employees on Monday said the banking sector will join the Bharat Bandh tomorrow. Bengal Provincial Bank Employees Association, affiliated to the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) further said that the insurance sector will also join the strike.
Electricity supply in the country may get affected on July 9 as over 27 lakh power workers will go on the Bharat Bandh tomorrow.
While no official bank holiday has been announced by banks and other government offices on July 9, services are expected to be disrupted.
States have not yet issued any holiday notification for schools and colleges due to the Bharat Bandh tomorrow and they are expected to remain open.
