Bharat Bandh on 9 July 2025: Over 25 crore workers in sectors including banking, insurance, postal, mining, construction, among others, are likely to participate in a nationwide general strike or ‘Bharat Bandh’ on Wednesday to oppose the “anti-worker, anti-farmer and anti-national pro-corporate policies of the government”, a forum of central trade unions and their associates have announced.
The forum of ten unions, in a statement, has called for making “the nationwide general strike a grand success”, and said preparations have been taken up in earnest by unions in all sectors of formal and informal/unorganised economy.
The strike, which will also see participation from farmers and rural workers, as per Amarjeet Kaur from All India Trade Union Congress, will potentially disrupt public services across the country.
Will schools, banks, offices, train services be affected? Here’s all you need to know about the July 9 strike:
- 01
What have the trade unions announced?
A forum of ten central trade unions and their associates have called for a nationwide general strike or ‘Bharat Bandh’ on Wednesday to oppose the “anti-worker, anti-farmer and anti-national pro-corporate policies of the government.”
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the joint front of agricultural workers unions have extended support to the July 9 bandh call and decided to organise massive mobilisations in rural India, as per the trade union leaders.
- 02
When will the strike take place?
The strike is expected to take place on Wednesday (July 9, 2025), beginning early in the morning.
Trade unions had earlier observed similar nationwide strikes on November 26, 2020, March 28-29, 2022 and on February 16 last year.
- 03
Who all will be participating in the general strike?
The forum of ten central trade unions and their associates, which include, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), HMS, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC), Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) and United Trade Union Congress (UTUC), will participate in the general strike on Wednesday.
Union leaders from NMDC Ltd and other non-coal minerals, steel, state government departments, and public sector enterprises have also given notices to join the strike, as per a PTI report.
- 04
What are the workers’ allegations and demands?
Trade unions have been fighting against “privatisation of public sector enterprises and public services, policies of outsourcing, contractorisation and casualisation of workforce”, according to a statement released by the forum. The workers’ union forum said it had last year submitted a charter of 17 demands to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
The forum has alleged that the government has:
– not been conducting the annual labour conference for the last ten years, while continuing to make decisions in contravention to the interest of labour force.
– continued to push for the implementation of four labour codes, which are meant to “suppress and cripple the trade union movement, increase working hours, snatch workers’ right to collective bargaining, right to strike, and decriminalise violation of labour laws by employers”.
– increased unemployment, alongside rising prices of essentials, decrease in wages, cut in social sector spending in education, health, basic civic amenities, which has led to more inequalities for poor, people of lower income group as well as the middle class.
– now attempted to de-franchise the migrant workers, beginning with Bihar as an immediate case, while referring to Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
– misused constitutional bodies to criminalise mass movements, for instance, via the Public Security Bill in Maharashtra and similar enactments in the state of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh.
– also attempted to snatch citizenship.
- 05
What are the demands of the workers?
The workers have demanded the government to:
– address unemployment, recruitments against sanctioned posts.
– create more jobs
– increase in days and remuneration of MGNREGA workers and enactment of similar legislation for urban areas.
- 06
How will the public services be impacted?
Harbhajan Singh Sidhu from Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) has said that banking, postal, coal mining, factories and state transport services will be affected due to the strike.
However, banking and railways unions have not separately officially confirmed any closure of banks, or disruption in train services.
Schools, colleges, and private offices are likely to remain open on July 9 even as transport facilities will remain impacted, as per the trade union. Public modes of transport such as buses, taxis, and app-based cab services could remain affected.
