Over 25 crore workers participated in the nationwide general strike on July 9, 2025, against the Union government’s policies, particularly the scrapping of four Labour Codes. The strike affected key sectors such as power, mines, coal, ports, and public transport.
The strike saw widespread participation across various regions, including rural India, where informal sector workers, agricultural labourers, farmers, and students took part. Senior trade union leader Amarjeet Kaur warned that any move to impose the four Labour Codes would be opposed.
The Centre of Indian Trade Unions stated that the strike was just the beginning of more joint protests with farmers and against the government’s exclusion of workers from voter lists in election-bound Bihar. Former MP Tapan Sen noted that the strike saw participation from numerous sectors, including finance, petroleum, and defence.
Reports indicated a bandh-like situation in several states, including Puducherry, Assam, and West Bengal, with industrial strikes held in other states like Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The unions claimed the strike was against rising inequalities, price rises, unemployment, and underemployment, and alleged that the government is violating international labour standards by not conducting an Indian Labour Conference for 10 years.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/over-25-crore-workers-joined-the-strike-claim-trade-unions/article69792979.ece