Nationwide strike over labour codes hits Assam; transport, refineries affected

Guwahati/Digboi, Feb 12: Parts of Assam felt the force of the nationwide “Bharat Bandh” on Thursday, with refineries, transport hubs and streets bearing the brunt.

The nationwide strike, called by a joint platform of 10 central trade unions, disrupted services across parts of Assam from early morning, even as organisers claimed participation from nearly 30 crore workers nationwide.

In Guwahati, the entrance to the Guwahati Refinery in Noonmati turned into a protest site as members of the United Workmen Union and the Thikadari Shramik Union assembled, demanding a rollback of the labour codes.

“We want the Central government to scrap the labour codes. If these codes are implemented, workers will lose job security and be deprived of their rights,” said Girish Kalita, General Secretary of the United Workmen Union, as protesters gathered outside the refinery.

The ripple effect of the bandh was felt across the city. Public transport services were disrupted, with only a handful of electric buses plying on the roads. Commuters were left stranded at several bus stops.

“We didn’t realise the bandh would affect transport services like this. I have to drop my child at school, and now there is no public transport available. The schools should have remained closed today,” said a mother waiting at a bus stop in Mathgharia.

A similar scene unfolded in Upper Assam’s Digboi, where hundreds of workers from the Digboi Refinery staged demonstrations outside the refinery premises. Protesters warned of intensified agitation if their demands were not addressed.

“This protest is to make it clear that we will not remain silent. The labour codes the government wants to implement will deprive workers of their rights. Today, workers have stopped their work to show their support,” said Nagen Chutia, General Secretary of the Petroleum and Gas Workers Federation of India in Digboi.

He added that the agitation could intensify in the coming days if the government does not reconsider the labour reforms.

“This BJP government has always harassed the common people. They are now trying to turn the industries into private industries,” Chutia said.

The strike call has been backed by major trade unions, including INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has also extended support, with several farmer organisations expressing solidarity.

The bandh has been organised in protest against the four labour codes enacted by the Centre in 2020, which subsumed 29 existing central labour laws into a consolidated framework.

Trade unions contend that the new codes weaken long-standing safeguards on job security, social protection and collective bargaining rights.

The major demands of the bandh include withdrawal of four labour codes, restoration of MGNREGA and rollback of policies perceived to weaken civil services.