Karnataka Bandh: trade unions, farmers, and workers join forces

Karnataka faces Bharat Bandh as unions, farmers, and workers protest labour codes and new bills; schools, buses, offices run under tight security

Karnataka witnessed a day of disruption on Thursday as central trade unions pressed ahead with a nationwide Bharat Bandh, drawing support from farmers’ organizations, scheme workers, and transport unions. The strike, called by more than ten major labour bodies, is aimed at opposing the Centre’s four new labour codes and a raft of recent bills that unions argue erode workers’ rights and social protections.

In Bengaluru, autos, taxis, and transport drivers extended support to the bandh, with a protest scheduled near Town Hall at 10 am. While the Auto Association clarified that autorickshaw services would continue, demonstrations and symbolic blockades were expected to slow traffic in key areas. Authorities directed schools, colleges, banks, post offices, and government offices to function normally, and KSRTC and BMTC bus services were instructed to operate without interruption.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) urged farmers to join hands with trade union workers, underscoring the strike’s broader agenda. In its statement, SKM demanded withdrawal of the four labour codes, the Electricity Bill 2025, the Seed Bill 2025, and the V.G. Gram G Act 2025. It also called for restoration of the old pension scheme, protection against privatization of electricity, and implementation of minimum wages for all categories of workers.

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Union leaders emphasized that the bandh would remain peaceful but assertive, with protests staged in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi, and Mangaluru. Security was tightened across the state, particularly near Bengaluru’s Town Hall, where more than 250 police personnel, four KSRP squads, and barricades were deployed to manage crowds. Two BMTC buses were stationed nearby as precautionary measures.

The Joint Action Committee of labour organizations spearheaded the protest, backed by nationalized bank employees’ unions and groups such as the Indian National Trade Union, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, CITU, AIUTUC, and others. Their collective demands included repeal of the Land Acquisition Act, Land Reforms, APMC and Cattle Protection amendments, and opposition to what they termed “anti” policies of the Union government.

As Karnataka’s civic life adjusted to the strike, the bandh highlighted the growing discontent among workers and farmers, signalling a widening struggle against both central and state labour policies.

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