NEW DELHI: Millions of workers across India went on a nationwide strike to protest against the Narendra Modi government’s economic and labour reforms, which trade unions have described as an aggressive assault on workers' rights and public services.
The strike—backed by a wide coalition of central trade unions, federations, and farmers' organizations—disrupted major sectors including banking, manufacturing, construction, postal services, and public transportation. Organized by the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Federations (JPCTUF), the movement united ten national labour bodies and numerous sectoral federations.
Workers voiced strong opposition to a range of government measures: extended working hours, precarious contract jobs, widespread privatization, and new anti-strike legislation that would impose severe restrictions on union activity.
The protest drew participation from public and private sector employees, including those in coal mining, steel production, automobile manufacturing, and state-run enterprises. Some industrial operations managed to slow production lines and assign managerial staff to keep operations running amid high absenteeism.
Though rail services were largely unaffected, demonstrations in states like West Bengal, Odisha, and Bihar briefly disrupted routes as protesters blocked train lines.
Notably, the strike cut across caste and communal lines—often exploited by the political establishment—demonstrating the growing frustration within the working class against a system increasingly seen as favoring corporate interests over ordinary citizens.
