Nationwide strike on July 9 over 'Anti-Worker' Modi reforms

Ten central trade unions will launch a nationwide General Strike on Wednesday, July 9, in protest against what they describe as the Narendra Modi-led government’s “anti-worker, anti-farmer, and pro-corporate” policies. The joint agitation, involving INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC, targets the imposition of the four labour codes and the recently introduced Employment-Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme.
The strike rescheduled from May 20 following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor is expected to witness widespread participation in states like Bihar, Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, where it may take the form of a full-fledged bandh. Several organisations, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), agricultural workers' fronts, NREGA Sangharsh Morcha and Opposition parties, have declared support for the protest.At a joint press conference on Monday, AITUC General Secretary Amarjeet Kaur said, “The government reached out to trade unions on Saturday, but without any agenda. This strike was announced in March with a clear charter of demands, yet there has been no meaningful engagement.”Kaur added that the Centre is pushing state governments to implement the contentious labour codes, which threaten to increase working hours and undermine labour protections. “Worker resistance has so far prevented the private sector from enforcing these exploitative changes,” she said.CITU General Secretary Tapan Sen criticised the ELI scheme, calling it a “system of slavery” designed to replace regular workers with interns and apprentices. He also questioned the credibility of the government’s ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) vision amid shrinking industrial output and declining job security.
A joint statement from the Platform of Central Trade Unions accused the Centre of bypassing democratic consultation with labour bodies and not holding the Indian Labour Conference for the past decade. The unions said the government’s “Ease of Doing Business” drive is being implemented at the cost of workers' rights, including attempts to decriminalise labour law violations by employers while criminalising union activities.The statement further opposed ongoing efforts to privatise public sector enterprises and essential services, increased outsourcing and contractorisation, suppression of trade union activities, and the dismantling of collective bargaining mechanisms.Adding to the list of concerns, union leaders also raised alarm over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, terming it a “conspiracy” to disenfranchise workers and diminish their bargaining power.