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9 July, 2025Today, millions of workers across India—from both formal and informal sectors and from rural and urban areas—went on strike and took to the streets to defend their rights, which have been severely undermined under the current right-wing government.The countrywide general strike was called by the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions in India, along with sectoral and independent federations and farmers’ organizations to intensify the fight against the government’s anti-labour policies.
Indian trade unions have been continuously raising concerns against the hostile policies of the central and state governments towards working people of the country. Recently, the Andhra Pradesh state government amended the law to increase the working hours to ten. The ongoing dilution of hard-won workers’ rights, an increasing attack on democratic rights along with growing unemployment, rising cost of living and stagnant wages, have led to massive discontent among working masses.
Sanjay Vadhavkar, IndustriALL executive committee member and general secretary of the Steel, Metal, and Engineering Workers’ Federation of India, says:
“Today's successful strike reflects that the working class in India is totally against the anti-worker and anti-people policies of the present government. Workers will continue to fight until the government withdraws four labour codes and its implementation. Trade unions in the country stand united and we will carry on the struggle to defend workers’ rights.”
Unions carried out a vigorous campaign to mobilize workers before the strike, particularly raising awareness around the anti-worker labour laws. Some of the main demands being pressed by the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions include:
- Scrapping of anti-worker labour laws
- Ending precarious work in all its forms
- Stopping privatization of public sector enterprises
- Restoring of Old Pension Scheme
- Providing national minimum wage of INR 26,000 (US$ 303) with regular revision every five years
- Ratification of ILO Conventions C87 and C98
Gautam Mody, IndustriALL executive committee member and convener of Unions United, says:
“When the right to strike is under attack, striking is the only way to show a far-right government and brazen capital our power. That's what we have done today. And if the government doesn't turn the labour codes back, we'll strike again! And again!”
IndustriALL general secretary, Atle Høie, says:
“IndustriALL stands in complete solidarity with the striking workers in India. We salute the fighting spirit of Indian trade unions who in the face of repression and restriction of democratic rights are continuing the struggle to advance workers’ movement and protect the democratic structures in the country. The unity shown in face of these seriously repressive legal amendments serves as an inspiration to the working-class movement across the world.”