In protest of what it describes as the Centre's "anti-worker" policies, a united forum of key trade unions called for a nationwide strike on Thursday. This action is expected to cause partial disruptions to services like banking, insurance, electricity, transportation, health, education, gas, and water supply.
Trade unions have stated that almost 30 crore workers from a variety of industries are anticipated to take part in the agitation, according to a PTI report.
A group of trade unions announced the call action on January 9 in order to express their "resistance to the central government's anti-worker, anti-farmer, and anti-national pro-corporate policies.”
“All services in electricity, banking, insurance, transport, health, education, gas and water supply will be affected due to the nationwide strike call on February 12,” All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) General Secretary Amarjeet Kaur told PTI.
Kaur said that although not all bank unions will take part since their joint forum had already staged a strike on January 27, several major organisations—including the All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA), the All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA) and the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI)—will participate in the protest.
She noted that the mining and gas pipeline sectors are also likely to be affected, while insurance employees plan to demonstrate against the government’s move to permit up to 100 per cent foreign direct investment in the sector and against the rollout of the new labour codes, TNIE reported.
She further said that a large number of workers from private and state-run transport services are expected to join the strike.
Highlighting the scale of the mobilisation, Kaur said at least 30 crore workers were expected to participate, with the impact likely to be felt in nearly 600 districts. She recalled that a similar nationwide strike on July 9 last year had seen around 25 crore workers take part, affecting more than 550 districts. She also said that despite labour commissioners in several districts holding discussions with union leaders over their demands, the February 12 strike would proceed as scheduled.
Separately, All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) chairman Shailendra Dubey told PTI that around 2.7 million power sector employees and engineers across the country would observe a one-day strike on February 12. He said the action was being organised to oppose privatisation, the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the proposed National Electricity Policy 2026, and to demand the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme for power sector employees. Dubey added that, for the first time, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and ten central trade unions would join the strike in solidarity with power sector workers.
Dubey said that with the involvement of power sector employees, engineers, workers and farmers, the February 12 protest could emerge as one of the biggest industrial actions since Independence. He said the main demands include stopping outsourcing, filling regular vacancies through direct recruitment, and regularising workers currently employed on an outsourced basis.
AIPEF has also warned that privatising the power sector—including distribution, generation and transmission—would adversely affect poor consumers, small and medium enterprises, and the wider public. Dubey said the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the proposed National Electricity Policy 2026 should be scrapped without delay.
Meanwhile, banking services are likely to face partial disruption as three of the nine bank unions—AIBEA, AIBOA and BEFI—have decided to join the strike. The All-India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC) and five other unions are not participating directly but have expressed solidarity.
Several public sector banks have already alerted customers that operations at branches and administrative offices across the country may be affected.
AIBOC General Secretary Rupam Roy told PTI that the union had extended its support to the strike. “Our members will not act as strike-breakers nor take on any non-supervisory duty on the day of the strike,” he said.
National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE) General Secretary L Chandrashekhar told PTI, “We are not part of the strike, but have extended fraternal support to central trade unions.”
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha has announced its full backing for the demands raised by trade unions, while a joint platform of agricultural workers’ unions is set to join the strike to press for the revival of the rural employment guarantee scheme MGNREGA and the withdrawal of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025.
Other demands include the repeal of the four labour codes, the withdrawal of the Draft Seed Bill and the Electricity Amendment Bill, and the scrapping of the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act. The joint trade union forum includes INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC.
At the same time, the Trade Union Co-ordination Centre (TUCC) has opposed the strike, describing the call as baseless, poorly conceived and contrary to national interests. In a statement, TUCC said it would not participate in protests that it claimed were motivated more by political considerations than by genuine concern for workers. It further said that such politically driven strike calls weaken established systems of negotiation and dialogue used to protect and promote workers’ rights.