Nationwide Strike Sparks Disruption in Key Sectors Amid Labour Rights Protest

The 'Bharat Bandh' protests, led by ten central trade unions, disrupted public transportation and commerce across India. Demonstrations in states like Odisha, Kerala, and West Bengal were a response to economic reforms perceived as undermining workers' rights. Unions demand reversal of 2020 labour codes and highlight economic grievances.

Public transportation and commerce faced significant disruptions across India on Wednesday as the 'Bharat Bandh', organized by ten central trade unions, picked up momentum. In Odisha, members of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) blocked the national highway in Bhubaneswar to bolster support for the strike.

In Kerala, businesses shuttered their doors in Kottayam in solidarity with the 'Bharat Bandh', while in Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) students' wing halted trains at the Jehanabad station. Protesters were reacting to economic reforms they say weaken workers' rights, prompting rail and road blockades especially in West Bengal.

Train services in West Bengal were halted by protesters at several railway stations such as Jadavpur. Bus drivers wore helmets while operating vehicles on routes, except in the Darjeeling Hills, as a safety measure amid heightened tensions. Change in labor laws and economic policies has stirred widespread dissent.

(With inputs from agencies.)