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Nationwide Bharat Bandh on July 9: Public transport hit across several states; key highlights and latest updates on the strike. Bharat Bandh today: Protests impact parts of West Bengal, including Kolkata, as left trade unions block railway tracks at Jadavpur station and light fires in protest.
Bharat Bandh Today, July 9, 2025: A nationwide strike has been called by a joint platform of 10 trade unions to protest against the four labour codes, contractualisation of jobs, and privatisation of public sector undertakings (PSUs), among other issues.
The strike is impacting essential public services, including transportation, leading to widespread disruptions in daily life across the country.
Key Highlights of the Bharat Bandh on July 9:
- Amarjeet Kaur, representing the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), informed PTI that more than 25 crore workers — including farmers and rural laborers — are expected to participate in the nationwide strike and protests.
The impact of the Bharat Bandh was evident in parts of West Bengal, including Kolkata, where workers from left-affiliated trade unions staged protests by lighting fires. Protesters also entered Jadavpur railway station and blocked the tracks as part of their agitation. A heavy police presence was deployed at the Jadavpur 8B bus stand, where demonstrations continued.
In Odisha, members of the Khordha District unit of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) staged a blockade on the national highway in Bhubaneswar in support of the ‘Bharat Bandh’.
In Kerala, shops and shopping malls in Kottayam remained shut in solidarity with the ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by 10 central trade unions.
In Bihar, members of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) students’ wing staged a protest by blocking railway tracks at Jehanabad railway station in support of the ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by a joint forum of 10 central trade unions and their affiliates.
Meanwhile, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, bus services remained unaffected and continued to operate despite the Bharat Bandh demonstrations.
The Bharat Bandh is expected to disrupt banking, postal services, coal mining, factories, and state transport services in several parts of the country today.
A coalition of 10 central trade unions and their affiliated organizations has announced a nationwide general strike, or ‘Bharat Bandh’, to protest what they describe as the government’s “anti-worker, anti-farmer, and pro-corporate policies that go against national interests.”
In their statement, the forum urged widespread participation to ensure the “nationwide general strike becomes a resounding success.
10. The Bengal Provincial Bank Employees Association announced on Monday that the banking sector will participate in the Bharat Bandh today. This is expected to disrupt banking services across West Bengal.
11. Kerala Transport Minister K. B. Ganesh Kumar stated that state-run KSRTC buses will continue to operate on Wednesday, despite the Bharat Bandh called for today.
Schools and colleges are expected to operate as usual during the nationwide strike, with the exception of certain areas likely to experience disruptions due to the Bharat Bandh. Reports indicate that some schools in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry have been closed.
The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha has urged MGNREGA workers from across the country to join the nationwide strike. Their key demands include increasing wages to ₹800 per day, restarting MGNREGA work in West Bengal, and scrapping the NMMS and ABPS systems, among others.
The forum has claimed that the current economic policies are causing higher unemployment, increasing prices of essential goods, declining wages, and reductions in social sector spending on education, healthcare, and basic civic services. As a result, these issues are worsening inequality and increasing hardships for the poor, lower-income groups, and the middle class.
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