Organised and unorganised workers across Karnataka stayed off work on February 12 as part of a general strike called by the Joint Committee of Trade Unions (JCTU) against the Union government’s four Labour Codes, with police intervening to disperse protests in Bengaluru. The JCTU comprises trade unions not affiliated to the BJP.
In Bengaluru, members of the Karnataka Workers Union (KWU), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] gathered at Town Hall. They were joined by workers’ collectives such as the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), as well as the Karnataka Information Technology Union (KITU) and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) union. Sooraj Nidiyangan, CPI(M)’s Karnataka state committee secretary, said more than 100 employees from the IT sectors participated in the protest in Bengaluru.
Workers also went on strike in several industrial areas on the outskirts of Bengaluru, including Jigani, Bidadi, Hosakote, Narsapura, and Nelamangala. In many of these areas, workers took out processions.
The strike saw participation across other parts of the state as well, including Mysuru, Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari, Vijayanagara, Hassan, Sakleshpur, Hubballi-Dharwad, and Tumakuru districts.
Protestors demanded the repeal of the four Labour Codes and opposed the new employment guarantee law that replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
At Town Hall, police intervened around noon and dispersed the gathering, loading protesters onto passing buses and removing them from the area. Commuters were inconvenienced as police asked them to alight from the buses and left them stranded.
Suresh G, an employee at Rexroth who was present at the protest, told TNM, “The four labour codes are against us. I demand the immediate repeal of the four codes. We have organised this strike across India and different parts of Karnataka, but the police aren’t letting us continue with this strike.”
A police official present at Town Hall said that around 200 police personnel had been deployed for the protest.
Many of the protesters were later taken to the City Armed Reserve police grounds in Audugodi, where they continued their protest.
Meenakshi Sundaram, president of CITU, told TNM over the phone from Audugodi, “The Union government isn’t responding to the suggestions made by the trade unions. On February 11, the state government held a meeting with trade union leaders and promised to form a joint committee to examine the issue seriously.”
Tumakuru
In Tumakuru district, hundreds of ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activists) workers participated in the protest. While expressing solidarity with the general strike called by the JCTU, they also raised demands related to pending assurances from the state government.
Manjula Gonavara, district in-charge of AIUTUC, said, “Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced in January 2025 that ASHA workers in Karnataka would be paid a fixed monthly honorarium of Rs 10,000. However, we have not received any official notice so far, and the decision is yet to be formally notified. If this continues, the CM should be ready to face strong protests in the coming days.”
Latha, an anganwadi worker from Machenahalli, spoke about the workload and conditions faced by anganwadi workers. “Every other department wants anganwadi workers to do their work. And we work very hard,” she said.
She added that despite difficulties in uploading data due to poor internet connectivity in rural areas, anganwadi workers continued to carry out their duties. “The government should declare that we are permanent workers and they should increase the salaries,” she said.