Jadaavpur (west Bengal): Left parties’ trade unions are staging a ‘Bharat Bandh’, alleging that the central government is pushing economic reforms that weaken workers’ rights. Ten central trade unions have called the Bandh.
Defying police presence, members of the Left parties’ unions entered Jadavpur railway station in West Bengal to block railway tracks in protest against the central government’s “pro-corporate” policies. Left unions also took out a foot march in Jadavpur.
A heavy police force was deployed near Jadavpur 8B bus stand. Bus drivers were seen wearing helmets for protection as private and state-run buses continued to operate despite the shutdown. One bus driver said, “These people are saying the right thing, but we have to do our work. We are workers, so we support the Bandh… We are wearing helmets for protection in case something happens.”
Under the Bandh, sectors such as state-run public transport, government offices, public sector units, banking and insurance services, postal operations, coal mining, and industrial production are likely to be affected.
The trade unions have alleged that the government is implementing reforms that undermine workers’ rights. CITU General Secretary Tapan Kumar Sen said, “The 17-point charter focuses on scrapping the labour codes enacted in 2020, which are aimed at destroying the country’s trade union movement. This is a dangerous exercise targeting the democratic structure.”
Participating organisations include INTUC (Congress), AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, and UTUC. In a joint statement, the union forum criticised the government for not holding the Indian Labour Conference for the past decade and opposed the implementation of the four labour codes, which they claim weaken collective bargaining, cripple union activities, and benefit employers under the guise of ‘ease of doing business’.
The unions also criticised the government’s economic policies, blaming them for rising unemployment, inflation of essential commodities, declining wages, and reduced spending on education, health, and civic amenities.
They demanded recruitment to sanctioned posts, increased MNREGA working days and wages, and a similar employment law for urban areas. “Instead, the government is pushing the ELI scheme, which only benefits employers,” the joint statement said.
