July 8, 2025 – A forum of 10 central trade unions and their allies have issued a call for Bharat Bandh tomorrow, July 9, to protest against, what they say is the “anti-worker, anti-farmer, and anti-national pro-corporate policies” of the central government.

The strike is likely to disrupt key services across India with many sectors - ranging from banking, insurance, postal services to coal mining - taking part in the bandh. Farmers and rural workers will also join the protest across the country, according to Amarjeet Kaur of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC).

“Banking, postal, coal mining, factories, and state transport services will be affected due to the strike,” said Harbhajan Singh Sidhu of the Hind Mazdoor Sabha.

The trade unions have made a plea to all to “make the nationwide general strike a grand success,” saying that months of preparations across formal and informal sectors have gone into it.

The trade unions have claimed indifference of the government towards the labour force after it ignored a 17-point charter of demands submitted by the unions to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya last year. The unions allege the government has not addressed these demands and neither has it convened the annual labour conference since the last 10 years.

No official holiday for July 9 has been declared by banks and government offices although services are likely to be disrupted. Educational institutions are also expected to remain open as States have not issued any holiday notification. 

With Media Inputs