Over 25 crore employees in public sector undertakings like banking, insurance, postal and construction are likely to observe a one-day countrywide strike or Bharat Bandh on Wednesday, July 9, a conclave of 10 central trade unions in India announced.
“The Bharat bandh will be disrupting services across the country. Banking, postal, coal mining, factories, state transport services will be affected due to the strike,” Harbhajan Singh Sidhu from Hind Mazdoor Sabha was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Are banks closed tomorrow?
As per a PTI report, a union of bank staff stated the banking industry will join Wednesday’s Bharat bandh. The Bengal Provincial Bank Employees Association, which is affiliated to the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), also added that the insurance industry will join the strike.
Banking services will be disrupted in the country, but no banking holiday has yet been announced.
Will schools and colleges stay closed on Bharat bandh?
Schools and colleges have not received any notification for a holiday on account of the Bharat bandh call and are likely to operate as usual.
Will there be power cuts during the strike?
Referring to the PTI report, power supply in the nation is likely to also get impacted on July 9 since more than 27 lakh power employees will be part of the Bharat bandh.
Will the railways be functioning?
No word about a countrywide railway strike due to the Bharat bandh has come yet.
Commuters can anticipate delays in train services or disruption on account of the protests.
The 10 central trade unions’ forum organized the countrywide strike, blaming the government for failing to hold the annual labour conference in the past 10 years, and accusing that the economic policies are leading to increased employment loss, increasing prices of primary commodities, and wage depression.
The government departments were also blamed by the forum for being harmful to the development of the nation where 65 per cent of the population is under the age of 35 years and the unemployed population is highest among those in the age bracket of 20 to 25 years.
