Bharat Bandh disrupts transport & public sector services in Assam

Guwahati: Bharat Bandh, called by a joint forum of central trade unions across the country on Thursday, affected the transport sector in the state and financial institutions, including public sector banks, even as normal life largely remained unaffected.

Protesters clashed with police in many places in the state, including Guwahati, as they gathered to protest labour codes and wage policies of the Modi govt, among various other demands. Workers and employees observed the strike, demanding the repeal of the labour codes brought by the Union govt, which they claimed curtailed constitutional rights.


Work in all four refineries and bottling plants in the petroleum sector in Assam remained affected. Similarly, production and services in the coal, banking, insurance, and electricity sectors such as NTPC Salakati, OIL Duliajan, ONGC, and other public sector units, were disrupted, trade unions said.

Motor workers’ organisations supported the strike by organising a wheel jam, which brought long-distance bus and truck services to a standstill in some districts.

“Rural taxis, Ola-Uber, and small tourist vehicles also stopped operating. The strike in private sector factories was unprecedented, with over 1,000 factories without labour unions completely shutting down,” said Tapan Sarma, convenor of the Joint Forum of Central Trade Unions and Employees Federations in Assam. He said construction workers in the unorganised sector held meetings and rallies in various districts of Assam, protesting against BJP govt’s “anti-worker policies”. “Thousands of anganwadi workers, helpers, and ASHA workers across Assam also went on strike, demanding the repeal of the labour codes, payment of justified wages, and recognition as regular employees,” he said.

Medical and sales representatives also refrained from work and staged protests at various locations. In Nagaon, local police cracked the whip on protesters and detained 10 persons.

In Guwahati, in front of the BSNL building in Panbazar, around 300 workers, employees, students, youth and women staged a sit-in protest. The strike was also reported from the industrial area of North Guwahati and Amingaon. Under CITU leaders, protesters also organised a rally in North Guwahati.