Bharat Bandh 2025: Massive Strike by 25 Crore Workers Disrupts Essential Services Across India
India witnessed one of its largest labour protests in recent years on July 9, 2025, as the Bharat Bandh called by 10 central trade unions brought essential services to a standstill across multiple states. More than 25 crore workers from the banking, transport, postal, and mining sectors took part in the nationwide strike to denounce what they perceived as the government’s “anti-worker, anti-farmer, and pro-corporate policies.
The general strike, which began at 6 AM, marked the 22nd such protest since India’s economic liberalisation in 19912. Banking operations, state transport, coal mining, and postal services were severely disrupted as workers took to the streets in protest against the new labour codes and privatisation policies.
What Triggered the Bharat Bandh?
The trade unions strike stems from mounting frustration over the government’s labour reforms and economic policies. The 10-union forum handed a 17-point charter of demands to Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in May, yet it received no formal reply.
The participating unions raised several critical issues:
- The unions engaged expressed a host of critical concerns.
- Resistance to the four labour codes is said to erode workers’ rights and lengthen working hours
- Privatisation of public sector enterprises imperils employment security
- The rising prevalence of reliance on contractual and casual workers at the expense of permanent employment
- The absence of an annual labour conference for the last decade
- Diminishing employment opportunities and worsening wage stagnation now afflict millions of workers
Major Trade Unions Leading the Bharat Bandh in 2025
The nationwide protest was coordinated by a joint platform of 10 central trade unions, representing workers across formal and informal sectors:
representing workers across formal and informal sectors:
| Trade Union | Abbreviation | Primary Sectors |
| Indian National Trade Union Congress | INTUC | Government employees, public sector |
| All India Trade Union Congress | AITUC | Industrial workers, mining |
| Centre of Indian Trade Unions | CITU | Manufacturing, transport |
| Hind Mazdoor Sabha | HMS | Railways, defence |
| Self Employed Women’s Association | SEWA | Informal sector workers |
| All India United Trade Union Centre | AIUTUC | Banking, insurance |
| Trade Union Coordination Centre | TUCC | Construction, highways |
| All India Central Council of Trade Unions | AICCTU | Steel, coal mining |
| Labour Progressive Federation | LPF | Postal services |
| United Trade Union Congress | UTUC | State government employees |
Impact Across Key Sectors Due to Bharat Bandh in 2025
Banking and the Financial Services
Banking services faced major disruptions as employees joined the workers’ strike. Although the banks stayed officially operating, most branches functioned with only a minimal staff presence, resulting in delays to services.
- ATMs experienced jams in cash withdrawals.
- Demonstrations and strike action hampered loan processing and approval procedures.
- Cheque clearances
- Digital banking services
The Bengal Provincial Bank Employees Association verified that both the banking and insurance sectors would take part in the strike as well19.
Transportation and Public Services
In a wide array of states, public transportation networks were severely affected.
- West Bengal: Authorities used lathicharge on Howrah streets after Left-backed organisations engaged security forces in clashes. Backers of the strike halted rail services at Diamond Harbour and Shyamnagar.
- Kerala: Almost all shops and shopping malls in Kottayam stayed shut as a solidarity gesture for the strike.
- Bihar: Workers imposed a simultaneous Bihar Bandh against the exercise to revise electoral rolls, thereby further intensifying the disruption.
- Odisha: Activists of the CITU blocked Bhubaneswar’s national thoroughfares during their protest.
The Sectors of Coal Mining and Industrial Production
More than 27 lakh workers in the power sector took part in the strike, which could influence electricity supply across the region. India’s energy security was imperilled when miners halted work at coal operations to join the protest.
Government Response and Counter-Claims for Bharat Bandh in 2025: Updated
The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment brushed aside the strike’s purported impact, insisting that 213 trade unions had withdrawn their support. Nevertheless, the 10-union forum dismissed this as a government tactic to intimidate workers.
Authorities noted that many of the concurrent labour reforms were already in operation nationwide, implying that the strike’s scope would be limited.
Latest Impacts on the Economy and the Services Affected Due to Bharat Bandh in 2025
Unless specifically listed, the categories highlighted remained closed or disrupted.
What Remained Closed or Disrupted Due to Bharat Bandh in 2025?
| Sector | Impact Level | Specific Effects |
| Banking | High | Branch operations, ATM services, and loan processing |
| Public Transport | High | State buses, local transport in major cities |
| Postal Services | High | Mail delivery, money orders, and postal banking |
| Coal Mining | High | Production stoppages, supply chain disruption |
| Government Offices | Medium | Reduced staff, delayed services |
| Power Supply | Medium | Potential local disruptions |
What Continued To Operate
- Schools and colleges carried out normal procedures
- Private offices operated while dealing with possible staff shortages
- Railway services were provided with possible delays
- Emergency services were unimpeded throughout the strike.
- Private hospitals and clinics continued to operate regularly.
Regional Variations in Strike Impact Due to Bharat Bandh
The Bharat Bandh had varying effects across different states:
High Impact States:
- West Bengal: Road and railway blockades
- Kerala: Widespread shop closures, transport strikes
- Bihar: Aiming to factify the shutdown, local electoral campaigns took to the streets.
- Odisha: Blockades on highways, shutdown of government offices
Moderate Impact States:
- Karnataka: The IT sector is largely unaffected, but public services are disrupted
- Tamil Nadu: The government issued a warning to its employees, advising them not to participate.
- Maharashtra: A mixed reaction in its urban centres
Workers’ Demands and Future Implications
Core Demands of Trade Unions
The strikers released an expansive list of demands that read as follows:
- Withdrawal of the four labour codes is deemed to privilege employers.
- Halt the privatisation of public-sector enterprises.
- Raise the monthly minimum wage to ₹26,000.
- Replace contractual employment with permanent job opportunities.
- Re-establish the annual labour conference mechanism.
Introduce the minimum support price for agricultural output in line with the Swaminathan Commission recommendations. Enlarge MGNREGA by raising wages and extending the number of workdays.
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Bharat Bandh Long-term Implications
The trade unions strike represents a broader conflict between labour rights and economic reforms. Given that most states have already rolled out new labour codes, the protest underscores the effectiveness of traditional strike strategies in today’s India.
The government’s drive to improve “ease of doing business” through labour reforms remains opposed by organised labour, laying the grounds for future confrontations.
Support of Farmers and Rural Workers in 2025
The nationwide protest gained additional strength from rural participation. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha—the organisation that spearheaded the historic farm law protests—extended its support to the strike620. Other sections of the self-employed and workers under the MGNREGA programme likewise took part in the protest, widening its reach beyond conventional industrial labourers.
Technology Industry and the Modern Workforce
Even as conventional sectors were heavily disrupted, India’s technology hubs registered effects that were largely mixed. Bengaluru, although characterised by a major public-sector workforce, witnessed numerous private companies recommending the work-from-home option. The strike underscored the widening split between conventional organised labour and today’s gig-economy workforce.
International Context and Comparisons
The Bharat Bandh occurs amid global labour movements challenging post-pandemic economic policies. Much like work stoppages in other developing nations, Indian labourers are challenging reforms they regard as advantaging capital over their own rights.
That 25 crore workers participated makes this among the largest coordinated labour actions worldwide in 2025.
Media Coverage and Public Response
Television news channels furnished comprehensive live coverage of the strike, casting special attention on transportation disruptions and banking services. Social media platforms generated a mixed response, with supporters hailing the workers’ solidarity while sceptics asked whether the strike would deliver an economic blow.
Using official channels, the government advanced a counter-narrative aimed at downplaying the strike’s significance, setting off a parallel struggle for perceptions alongside the protest action itself.
The Future of Labour Relations in India
The Bharat Bandh represents a critical juncture in India’s labour relations. As the country pursues manufacturing growth and foreign investment, the tension between worker rights and business-friendly policies continues to intensify.
As the government presses on with rolling out labour reforms, trade unions are gearing up for a protracted fight. The outcome of this confrontation may well shape India’s economic course and the social bargain connecting workers and the state in the years to come.
How this strike ultimately fares may shape later labour movements and subsequent governmental policy choices. Drawing together upward of twenty-five crore workers, the protest unmistakably signals the breadth of worker discontent with today’s economic policies.
Conclusion
The Bharat Bandh on July 9, 2025, demonstrated the continued power of organised labour in India despite economic liberalisation and technological advancement. Despite the participation of 25 crore workers from various sectors, the strike effectively disrupted essential services and placed worker grievances at the centre of national attention. The action against new labour codes, accelerating privatisation, and pro-corporate measures accentuates the deeper faultlines of India’s economic transformation. Even as the government played down the strike’s consequences, the broad participation and nationwide service disruptions demonstrate that labour unions continue to hold a considerable influence in India’s political and economic domains. The success of this coordinated action may encourage future protests and influence policy discussions around worker rights and economic reforms.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q1: What is Bharat Bandh, and why was it called on July 9, 2025?
A: Bharat Bandh is a nationwide general strike called by 10 central trade unions to protest against the government’s “anti-worker, anti-farmer, and pro-corporate policies.” The strike was convened to resist the new labour policies, oppose the privatisation of public sector enterprises, and secure improved working conditions for more than 25 crore workers.
Q2: Which sectors were most affected by the Bharat Bandh?
A: Banking, public transport, postal services, coal mining, government offices, and power supply were mostly impacted by the strike. Schools, colleges, and private workplaces stayed open, despite the disruptions, but their attendance was reduced owing to the transport disruptions.
Q3: How many workers participated in the Bharat Bandh 2025?
A: Many more than 25 crore workers—spanning the formal and informal sectors—took part in the strike, among them staff from banking, insurance, postal services, coal mining, construction, and state transport. Farmers and rural labourers likewise took part in the protest nationwide.
Q4: What are the chief demands of the trade unions?
The unions call for the withdrawal of four new labour codes, an end to privatising public sector enterprises, a hike in minimum wages to ₹26,000 monthly, the creation of permanent posts rather than contractual ones, and the revival of an annual labour conference not held in ten years.
Q5: Which trade unions organised the Bharat Bandh?
Ten central trade unions stood behind the strike: INTUC, AITUC, CITU, HMS, SEWA, AIUTUC, TUCC, AICCTU, LPF, and UTUC. Among the principal unions, only the RSS-affiliated Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) stayed out of the strike.
Q6: Was the Bharat Bandh successful in achieving its objectives?
A: Nonetheless, the government downplayed its effectiveness, insisting that numerous unions withdrew their support. Prospects for durable success will hinge on its ability to shape policy for the future and shape the outcome of forthcoming labour negotiations.
Q7: How did different states respond to the Bharat Bandh?
A: Response varied by state – West Bengal saw police action and transport disruptions, Kerala had widespread shop closures, Bihar faced dual bandh situations, while states like Tamil Nadu warned government employees against participation. The impact was generally higher in states with stronger union presence.
