By Dr. Gyan Pathak
All India General Strike of Workers on February 12 against the implementation of the four labour codes may be the beginning of a disturbing labour unrest in India, if the Government of India goes ahead with their plan to fully implement it from April 1, 2026 and the National Convention of Workers (NCW) goes ahead with their threat for indefinite strike if the labour codes are implemented.
The NCW convened by the 10 Central Trade Unions (CTUs) on January 9, 2026 has given the call for a general strike of workers on February 12, 2026 against the Union Government’s decision to implement the codes, which have already been notified on November 21, 2025. Union Minister of Labour and Employment Dr Mansukh Mandaviya has said that the codes will be fully implemented in the next financial year 2026-26 from April 1, 2026. The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment had also recently pre-published the draft Rules, as part of implementing the labour codes.
On the other hand, the joint platform of the 10 CTUs – INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC – have demanded immediate rollback of the four labour codes. They have also threatened of an indefinite strike if the government does not repeal the codes.
All India general strike on February 12 will be the sixth general strike ever since the Union Government has got the four labour codes passed in the Parliament of India since 2019 and 2020. The Code on Wages 2019 was passed in August 2029, and the three other codes – the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, Code on Social Security, 2020, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020, a year later in September 2020. The codes were prepared by subsuming 29 central labour laws of the country. India also witnessed numerous protest demonstrations of workers against the codes. The last general strike was held on July 9, 2025.
Now Entire workforce seems to be restive. Insurance, banks, electricity, informal sectors, agriculture workers, rural workers, government’s scheme workers and many others have decided to join the general strike of February 12, which makes the call for general strike ever stronger than all other protests in the last five years. The CTUs have said that February 12 “will see unprecedented participation” of workers across sectors, including the informal sector.
A declaration for the general strike adopted by the NCW said that 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 declaration added 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.
CTU leaders addressing the convention said that the implementation of the Codes meant the “imminent loss of the right to form unions and collective bargaining” of workers which will open up new avenues for workers’ exploitation. They said that the provisions of the codes are anti-worker and pro-corporate.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella organization of the farmers’ unions, have also announced that farmers and agricultural workers will also participated in the February 12 general strike, in solidarity with the workers and also to protest against anti-farmer policy of the government including the Draft Seeds Bill and Draft Electricity Amendment Bill.
Though the Union Government has claimed support of 16 Central Trade Unions for implementation of labour codes, it is worth noting that barring the government supported Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), no one have significant membership. Even RSS-BJP family member BMS has reservations about several provisions of the labour codes, and they have recently conveyed the general dissatisfaction of workers to the government recently.
It was only on January 6, a BMS delegation met the Union Minister of Labour and Employment Dr Mansukh Mandaviya and submitted a memorandum and conveyed that millions of workers felt left behind – which included the contractual labour and scheme workers in public utility services. After the meeting the BMS leaders were reported saying, “We are only asking for what is fair.”
BMS general secretary Ravindra Himte led delegation pressed the government to raise the ceiling limits for Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees’ State Insurance (ESI), double the gratuity entitlement from 15 to 30 days, and substantially increase the minimum pension of Rs 1,000. That pension floor has remained unchanged for over a decade and, in today’s prices, is scarcely adequate to meet even basic monthly needs.
One important thing to note is that BMS has also demanded to reconvene the Indian Labour Conference (ILC), the highest tripartite body of the country on labour issues, the sessions of which has not been held since 2015. Union Government has got the labour codes passed in the parliament even without consulting the ILC. BMS leaders said that it was the longest such gap in its history. The Joint platform of 10 CTUs has also been demanding ILC meet but the Union Government never heeded to their demand.
BMS has also opposed fixed-term employment provisions, disinvestment drives and also unilateral labour reform. They called for social dialogue which the government has been evading on labour issues. One must recall that BMS had also not opposed the last general strike of workers on July 9, and they have not yet said that they are opposing the February 12 general strike. The BMS delegation pointed out the workers’ plight of several sectors of the economy, and their memorandum clearly conveys general dissatisfaction of workers in India.
Key objections of the Joint platform of the 10 CTUs to the labour codes are that they weaken workers protections on wages, job security and union rights; Restrict the right to organise strikes; dilute occupational safety standards; encourage easier hire-and-fire practices and fixed-term employment; and raise thresholds so fewer workplaces are covered by the provisions of protections of the workforce. (IPA Service)
