Bharat Bandh: Services hit in Kerala, protesters lathicharged in Bengal

Trade unions have called a nationwide strike on July 9, protesting new labour codes, privatisation, inflation, job losses, and the Centre's alleged anti-worker policies

Scores of workers from sectors like banking, insurance, postal services, and coal mining hit the streets on Wednesday as part of the nationwide 'Bharat Bandh'. While the strike reportedly resulted in a complete shutdown in Kerala, Left unions resorted to blocking railway tracks in states like West Bengal and Odisha.

 

Called by 10 central trade unions, the Bharat Bandh is a protest against what they say are “anti-worker, anti-farmer, and anti-national pro-corporate policies” of the central government. The unions had earlier submitted a 17-point list of demands to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, but said that the government had ignored them. They also criticised the government for not holding the annual labour conference for the past decade.

 

 

The unions accused the Centre of pushing four new labour codes that they believe weaken unions, extend work hours, and curb workers’ rights. They also claimed the current economic policies are causing job losses, rising inflation, and cuts in education, healthcare, and basic services. They demanded regular jobs, more MGNREGA workdays, urban employment laws, and opposed privatisation and contract labour.    ALSO READ | Bharat Bandh today: What's open and what's closed across India today?

 

Bharat Bandh on July 9: Top updates

 

1. In Kerala, the 24-hour nationwide strike led to a complete shutdown, with public transport, shops, and offices remaining closed. Essential services like healthcare and milk supply were not affected. 

2. In West Bengal's Howrah, the police resorted to lathicharge to disperse Left-affiliated workers attempting to enforce the shutdown. In Midnapore, members of Left-aligned trade unions were taken into custody while attempting to block buses at the Central Bus Stand. 

VIDEO | Bharat Bandh: Police resort to lathicharge as workers of Left organisations try to enforce shutdown in Howrah.  More than 25 crore workers affiliated with central and sectoral trade unions have announced to go on strike across the country to protest against new labour… pic.twitter.com/khEKilXQxH

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 9, 2025

 

3. In West Bengal’s Naxalbari, a clash broke out between Trinamool Congress (TMC) members and trade union leaders during the Bharat Bandh. Earlier in the day, Left union members blocked railway tracks at Jadavpur station despite heavy police presence, protesting the government's "pro-corporate" stance. Meanwhile, North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) bus drivers were seen wearing helmets for safety.    

VIDEO | Bharat Bandh: CPI (M) supporters stage protest on track at Bandar railway station in West Bengal’s Haldia. Police detain several protesters.#BharatBandh  (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/UvaZLy4CBs

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 9, 2025 

   4. In Assam, commercial vehicles, including buses and trucks, stayed off the roads on Wednesday as various unions, including tea garden workers, joined the nationwide strike. Most transport workers' unions supported the bandh, leading to a near-complete halt in services, although school buses and emergency vehicles continued operating.   5. In Guwahati, both city buses and app-based taxis were off the streets, causing inconvenience to commuters. Power sector employees protested outside Bijulee Bhawan, demanding the rollback of “anti-worker laws”.  6. In Siliguri, several shops remained closed and roads appeared empty amid heightened police presence. Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Darjeeling vice-president Dibas Choubey told news agency PTI, "The question is of privatisation, unemployment, and inflation. PM Modi made this commitment to provide employment, but that didn’t happen. There is no future for this country. There is no new development. Therefore, the secular and Left trade unions have decided to call for a bandh in the entire country.”  7. In Puducherry, private buses, autos, and tempos stayed off the roads as part of the nationwide strike. Many shops, markets, and schools remained closed, while government buses ran in limited batches, PTI reported. Police were deployed across key areas, though essential services like power and water remained unaffected.   

8. In Jadavpur, members of the Left parties' union blocked railway tracks near the railway station as a mark of protest. A strong police contingent was deployed at the Jadavpur 8B bus stand amid the Left-backed strike. Despite the bandh, private and government buses continued to run, with drivers seen wearing helmets for their safety. One bus driver told ANI, "These people are saying the right thing (referring to the 'Bharat Bandh'), but we have to do our work. We are workers, so we support (the 'Bandh')... We are wearing it (helmet) for protection in case something happens." 

9. In Jharkhand, coal production and dispatch came to a halt as workers joined the strike, which also affected banking, insurance, and postal services. Trade unions and Left parties held rallies in Ranchi, demanding the repeal of labour codes. 

"The production and dispatch of coal have been totally halted as coal workers are on strike. The daily business in the banking sector and public sector units will also be impacted," All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) Jharkhand unit general secretary Suvendu Sen told PTI. 

CPI state secretary Mahendra Pathak said they have urged both small and large-scale vendors to join the protest against the central government's "anti-worker policies".