Nationwide General Strike: Trade Unions Hold Torch Rally in Support in Raipur

More than 25 crore workers working in sectors like banking, insurance, postal, coal mining across the country will go on strike today. On the eve of the nationwide strike, trade unions took out a torch rally in the capital Raipur. Hundreds of workers from the organized and unorganized sector participated in this rally called by the Joint Trade Union Forum. The rally started from Karmachari Bhawan, Budhapara, which passed through the main routes of the city and reached Karmachari Bhawan and turned into a public meeting.

Addressing the gathering, the convener of the Joint Forum, Dharmaraj Mohapatra said that more than 20 crore workers from across the country will participate in this strike to be held on Monday. Employees of banking, insurance, postal, telecom, railways, steel, coal, central and state government, as well as workers from the unorganized sector will be a part of this movement in large numbers.

Addressing the gathering, the convener of the Forum, Dharmaraj Mohapatra said that more than 20 crore hardworking people are going to participate in the strike on July 9. Employees of banking, insurance, postal, telecom, railways, steel, coal, central and state government, as well as workers from the unorganized sector will be part of this movement in large numbers.

He said that the objective of the strike is to protest against the labor codes being imposed by the central government, privatization, contracting, outsourcing, attacks on trade union rights, inflation, unemployment, communalism, giving fair price to farmers for their crops and anti-constitutional activities. This strike has been called by 10 central labor organizations including INTUC, CITU, AITUC, HMS, ACTU and more than 100 workers and public organizations. The United Kisan Morcha has also supported this strike.

Mahapatra informed that workers from different areas of Raipur will strike at their respective workplaces and after that will join the joint meeting organized at the divisional office of LIC in Pandri. At the same time, a demonstration will also be organized by the leftist parties at Ambedkar Chowk in the afternoon. He said that extensive preparations for the strike have been completed in the entire state.