Jamshedpur: Labor unions in the Kolhan region have triggered full-scale mobilization as they gear up for the nationwide general strike on February 12. Led by prominent figures like AITUC Jharkhand State President Ambuj Kumar Thakur, the movement is a pushback against the central government’s four new Labour Codes, which unions argue dismantle hard-won protections and facilitate corporate exploitation.
With the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and bank employee unions like AIBEA joining the fray, the strike is expected to bring industrial activities, banking operations, and local transport to a grinding halt across the East Singhbhum district.
The strike aims to register strong opposition to what unions describe as anti-worker labour codes, anti-people legislations, attacks on livelihoods and democratic rights, international trade agreements, and unchecked privatisation. Labour leader Ambuj Thakur said the proposed strike reflects growing discontent among workers over policy decisions that, according to unions, dilute labour protections and threaten job security.
He emphasised that the agitation is not confined to industrial concerns alone but is a broader struggle to safeguard constitutional rights and social justice. Extending solidarity, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and several agricultural labour organisations have announced full support to the strike, underlining the convergence of workers’ and farmers’ movements.
In Kolhan—one of Jharkhand’s key industrial belts—workers from diverse sectors are preparing to participate actively, viewing the strike as a crucial platform to defend their rights and interests.
To finalise the local action plan, representatives of CITU, AITUC, along with independent unions of bank, insurance, and government employees, have intensified coordination efforts across the region.
Union leaders are slated to address public programmes as principal speakers, with a strong focus on ensuring maximum regional participation.
Trade union representatives asserted that the February 12 strike would emerge as a powerful symbol of working-class unity, reflecting collective resistance against policies perceived to undermine labour welfare and democratic values.
