Nationwide strike on July 9: 10 trade unions protest Modi govt's 'anti-worker, anti-farmer' policies
New Delhi: Ten central trade unions have announced a nationwide general strike on Wednesday, July 9, to protest against what they call the Narendra Modi government's "anti-worker, anti-farmer and pro-corporate policies." The unions are opposing the implementation of four new labour codes and the recently introduced Employment-Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme.
The striking unions include INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC. They have also condemned the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, calling it a “conspiracy to strip working people of their voting rights and citizenship,” thereby weakening their collective bargaining power.
Trade union leaders warned that in states like Bihar, Kerala, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu, the strike could take the form of a complete bandh, with support from Opposition parties, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, and other allied groups.
Originally scheduled for May 20, the strike was postponed following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
At a joint press conference on Monday, AITUC General Secretary Amarjeet Kaur criticised the Centre for inviting unions for a last-minute meeting “without any agenda.” She said the government has been aware of the strike call and charter of demands since March 18 but made no effort for meaningful dialogue.
She further alleged that the Modi government is pushing labour codes through state-level rulemaking without addressing workers’ concerns. Despite this, resistance from workers has prevented private companies from implementing measures like longer working hours, she added.
CITU General Secretary Tapan Sen condemned the ELI scheme as a “system of slavery” that seeks to replace permanent workers with temporary interns and apprentices. He questioned the government's ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) narrative, pointing out the declining industrial production.
A statement from the Platform of Central Trade Unions noted that the government has not convened the Indian Labour Conference in the last decade and continues to sideline worker interests, promoting ease of business for employers at the cost of workers' rights.
Key demands include:
- Rollback of the four new labour codes
- End to privatisation and outsourcing in public services
- Restoration of trade union rights, including the right to strike
- Reinstatement of the Indian Labour Conference
- Action against rising casualisation and contractualisation of labour
- Withdrawal of the ELI scheme
The unions allege the government’s actions are designed to weaken collective bargaining, decriminalise employer violations, and criminalise union activity, marking a serious threat to India’s labour movement.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
