Thousands of Left-leaning workers and trade union activists took to the streets in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, voicing strong opposition to what they call the Centre’s anti-worker policies. The Bharat Bandh, called by a joint forum of ten central trade unions, saw protesters gather at the Ratham Centre in One Town and march to a public meeting at the Lenin Centre, where leaders from CPI(M), CPI, and various affiliated unions addressed the crowd. They denounced what they described as a shrinking space for public sector undertakings as a prelude to greater private sector activity.
The protesters demanded that the Central Government repeal the four Labour Codes, fix a minimum wage of ₹30,000, and strictly implement labour laws. They argued that the Labour Codes threaten job security for contract and outsourced workers, making permanent status uncertain under the new framework. Speakers urged the speedy regularisation of about 3 lakh contract workers in Andhra Pradesh and called for equal pay for equal work, alongside a fixed minimum wage of ₹30,000.
Participants also criticised moves to privatise public assets, including the push to privatise Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, and called for the withdrawal of Seed Act amendments and other labour-law changes they view as anti-worker. The rally highlighted concerns that both the Centre and the state government are pushing policies detrimental to workers, with activists insisting that the fight must continue until workers’ rights are protected and wages are fair.
