Nationwide trade unions’ strike hits banking, postal, power services

Ten central trade unions began a nationwide strike Wednesday, disrupting banking, postal, power, and transport services across several states. The protest targets new labour codes, PSU privatisation, contractualisation, and demands including a Rs 26,000 minimum wage and farm loan waivers.

New Delhi: A forum of 10 central trade unions went on strike across the country on Wednesday affecting postal, banking, electricity, and public transport among several other services. The forum has claimed that 25 crore workers are being mobilised for the “general strike” in protest against the new labour codes, along with other issues.

All India Trade Union Congress General Secretary Amarjeet Kaur told PTI that the general strike started across the country on Wednesday morning and she has received reports and pictures of the agitation from states, including West Bengal, Kerala, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar. She said banking, postal, and electricity services will be affected by the strike.

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She said copper and coal mining will be hit, while the impact will also be felt on public transport in several States. She further said the farmers’ unions in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan will also hold protests in their areas.

The unions’ demands include doing away with the four labour codes, contractualisation, privatisation of PSUs, increasing minimum wages to Rs 26,000 per month, as well as the demands of farmer organisations for minimum support price for crops based on Swaminathan commission’s formula of C2 plus 50 per cent, and loan waiver for farmers.