Trade unions call for general strike on February 12, threatens indefinite strike if Labour Codes are not repealed

A national convention of workers, convened by ten Central Trade Unions (CTUs) in Delhi on Friday (January 9, 2026), has given a call for a general strike on February 12 against the Union government’s decision to implement the four Labour Codes. The trade unions have also threatened of an indefinite strike if the Government does not withdraw the Codes immediately. The Union Labour Ministry had pre-published the draft Rules for the four Codes recently, as part of implementing them.

A declaration adopted at the convention said the Codes are being implemented to contain and weaken the trade unions and place the working class movement disarmed in face of the “onslaught of capital.” The CTUs had held five general strikes since the passage of the four Labour Codes in Parliament, between 2019 and 2020. “This has come in a background of a worrisome situation of deteriorating economy, growing unemployment, increased attack on the democratic rights of people, venomous campaigns of polarisation and hatred against the minorities, attack on all democratic institutions and filling them with blind supporters of the ruling party with dubious agenda of obliterating the rights of freedom of association, expression and dissent,” the declaration said.

The trade union leaders who spoke at the convention alleged that the Centre is privatising all strategic Public Sector Undertakings, railways, port and docks, coal mines, oil, steel, defence, roadways, airports, banks, insurance, telecom, postal, atomic energy, electricity generation and supply for the benefit of a few corporate houses of Indian and foreign origin.

They said about sixty five lakh posts are vacant in government services and PSUs and their demands to fill these posts were totally ignored. The CTUs expressed solidarity with the farmers’ organisations too. “The basic services are collapsing and people are dying with contaminated drinking water. The commercialisation of education and health are severe jolt to the people as they can not afford the cost. The prices of essential commodities are rising unabated,” the convention noted.

“The Central Government instead of responding to legitimate demands of the people, has increased its assault on all sections in the advantage of its cronies in the corporate world. Rather the government is busy giving concessions and leverage to the foreign companies to the disadvantage of small businesses and trade, MSMEs which provide major chunk of employment. After Trump’s increased tariff announcements, the government has been surrendering India’s Interest in the foreign trade,” the declaration said adding that if the Government still tries to pursue the Rules under the Codes and does not repeal the Codes, the CTUs will be compelled to go for further strong actions, including a multiple-day General Strike, besides sectoral resistance actions.