Millions of Indian workers go on strike against Modi’s labour codes

NEW DELHI: Millions of workers across India have gone on strike in protest against the Modi government’s new labour codes and economic policies.

The nationwide strike brought large parts of the country to a standstill, disrupting essential services including banking, construction, manufacturing, postal operations, and public transport.

Trade unions said they had united to oppose recently enacted labour laws and what they described as a long-standing pattern of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government favoring privatization and big business at the expense of workers’ rights.

According to Al Jazeera’s Inside Story, the strike is a significant backlash against Modi’s economic vision, often referred to as Modinomics. The report stated that labour unions believe workers’ rights are being systematically eroded under the new framework.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, protester Tapan Sarma criticised the federal government for dismantling existing labour protections. “They scrapped the old labour laws and introduced a new labour code that strips away all rights of the workers,” he said.

Unions argue that the new laws increase working hours, curtail the right to strike, and dilute labour protections. They also criticize a newly introduced pension scheme as unfair and accuse the government of advancing policies that favor large corporations. The ongoing privatization of state-run industries, they say, is worsening job insecurity.

“As soon as Prime Minister Modi came to power, he began selling off national assets—railways, banks, airports, coal,” said protester Satish Kumar Kesari. “All they’ve done is harm workers and help capitalists make profits.”

Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), claimed that at least 350 million people participated in the strike, underscoring the scale of public anger.

She voiced deep concern over the government’s four new labour codes. “These codes will strip workers of essential rights such as unionizing, collective bargaining, and striking,” Kaur said. “This could push the country back to colonial-era conditions.”