New Delhi, February 9 Services such as electricity, banking, insurance, transport, healthcare, and gas and water supply are likely to be affected across the country on Thursday due to a nationwide strike called by a joint forum of central trade unions.
The general strike on February 12 is expected to involve participation from 30 crore workers from various sectors.
A group of trade unions announced a nationwide strike on January 9 to express their "resistance to anti-worker, anti-farmer, and anti-national policies favored by the central government."
"Services in electricity, banking, insurance, transport, healthcare, education, gas, and water supply will be affected due to the nationwide strike call on February 12," said Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress, to PTI.
She stated that all bank unions will not participate in the strike, as their united front already observed a strike on January 27. However, bank worker unions such as AIBEA, AIBOA, and BEFI will participate in the protest.
In addition, Kaur said that the mining and gas pipeline sectors are also expected to be affected by the agitation.
Workers in the insurance sector will protest against the government's decision to allow up to 100% FDI in the sector and the implementation of new labor codes.
Furthermore, a large number of workers from private and state transport utilities will participate in the protest, she added.
She expressed confidence that "at least 30 crore workers" will participate in the strike, and around 600 districts are expected to be affected.
In a similar strike on July 9 last year, about 25 crore workers participated, impacting over 550 districts.
According to Kaur, labor commissioners in various districts have called for meetings with union leaders to discuss their concerns, but the planned protest will proceed as scheduled.
Shailendra Dubey, Chairman of the All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF), stated that around 2.7 million power employees and engineers across the country will observe a one-day strike on February 12.
The strike is aimed at opposing privatization, the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2025, the proposed National Electricity Policy 2026, and to restore the Old Pension Scheme for power sector employees.
Dubey stated that for the first time, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and ten central trade unions are joining the strike in solidarity with power employees.
With the participation of power sector employees, engineers, workers, and farmers, the February 12 action is expected to be one of the largest industrial actions in independent India, Dubey added, emphasizing that one of the major demands of the strike is to stop outsourcing, fill regular posts through direct recruitment, and regularize existing outsourced workers.
AIPEF has expressed concerns that the privatization of the power sector (distribution, generation, and transmission) is against the interests of poor consumers, small and medium-sized industries, and the general public.
Therefore, the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the proposed National Electricity Policy 2026 must be withdrawn immediately, Dubey said.
Banking services will be partially affected as three out of nine unions – All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA), and Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) – will be participating in the strike.
The All-India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC) and five other unions in the banking industry are not participating in the strike but are offering support.
Several public sector banks have already informed their customers that the functioning of branches and administrative offices across India may be affected due to the strike.
Rupam Roy, General Secretary of AIBOC, stated that the union has offered support to the strike.
"Our members will not act as strike-breakers or take on any non-supervisory duties on the day of the strike," Roy told PTI.
L Chandrashekhar, General Secretary of the National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), said, "We are not part of the strike but are offering fraternal support to central trade unions."
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha has offered full support to the trade unions' demands, while the joint front of agricultural workers' unions is joining the strike, demanding the restoration of the rural job guarantee scheme MGNREGA and the rollback of the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025.
Their demands also include the scrapping of four labor codes, withdrawal of the Draft Seed Bill and Electricity Amendment Bill, and the 'Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act'.
The joint forum includes INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, SEWA, AICCTU LPF, and UTUC.
Meanwhile, TUCC (Trade Union Co-ordination Centre) has rejected the strike call, saying it is totally baseless, ill-conceived, and against the national interest.
"TUCC will not participate in such actions, which are driven more by political demands and considerations than by genuine concern for workers' welfare. Such politically motivated calls for strike, based on narrow political agendas, are nowhere justified and undermine the established negotiation and dialogue-based model for safeguarding and advancing the rights of workers," it said in a statement.
