Why India’s Shutting Down Today: Inside the Massive July 9 Bharat Bandh
More than 25 crore workers across various sectors are expected to join the Bharat bandh or nationwide strike on Wednesday (July 9), affecting services across the country.
The workers are employed in sectors ranging from banking, insurance, highway and construction, postal to coal mining, according to news agency PTI.
“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, a member of the All India Trade Union Congress, said.
The general strike or ‘Bharat bandh’ has been called by a forum of 10 central trade unions in the country and their associates. In a statement, the forum has urged the workers to make “the nationwide general strike a grand success”.
The forum also said that unions in all formal and informal/ unorganised sectors had been undertaking preparations for the strike, as per PTI.
Why have trade unions called for Bharat bandh’?
The statement by the forum of trade unions said the general strike had been called in opposition to the “anti-worker, anti-farmer and anti-national pro-corporate policies” of the central government.
The forum said it had last year submitted its demands, as part of a 17-point charter, to Union labour minister Mansukh Mandaviya. It further alleged that the government is taking actions which are not aligned with the interests of the workers, and was favouring employers while emphasising on “ease of doing business”, PTI reported.
The forum further said that the annual labour conference had not been conducted for a decade now, and accused the government of imposing four labour codes to weaken collective bargaining.
It claimed that the Centre’s economic policies had led to increased unemployment, a rise in the prices of essential commodities, lowering wages and a cut in spending on the social sector.
The forum said it was demanding that the government address unemployment, create more jobs, and increase the remuneration provided to MGNREGA workers, among other demands.
“But the government is busy imposing the ELI (Employment Linked Incentive) scheme to incentivise employers instead,” the forum said in the statement.
Are banks closed tomorrow?
According to a PTI report, an association of bank employees said the banking sector will join Wednesday’s Bharat bandh. The Bengal Provincial Bank Employees Association, affiliated to the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), further stated that the insurance sector will also join the strike.
Banking services are likely to be disturbed across the nation, although no banking holiday has been announced yet.
Will schools and colleges remain closed on Bharat bandh?
Educational institutions, including schools and colleges, have not been notified of a holiday due to the Bharat Bandh call and are expected to function uninterruptedly.
With inputs from PTI
