Millions of workers and farmers across India joined a nationwide general strike on 12 February 2026, calling for stronger labour protections, universal social protection and economic policies that prioritise working people. The ITUC-Asia Pacific expressed firm solidarity with the mobilisation, describing it as a powerful demonstration of workers’ unity and collective action.
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Organised by the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and supported by farmers’ organisations, the strike reflected broad unity between organised and unorganised workers, farmers’ organisations and community groups, demonstrating growing convergence across sectors and social movements. Assemblies, marches and coordinated actions took place in more than 600 districts across the country. Major mobilisations were reported in Delhi, West Bengal including Kolkata, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Telangana, Kerala, Odisha, Assam, Maharashtra and Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, reflecting the broad geographic reach of the action.
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Participation spanned multiple sectors of the economy, including industrial belts, coalfields, public sector enterprises, banking and insurance institutions, transport networks, and rural employment centres. Informal economy workers also joined the nationwide action, highlighting the wide-ranging impact of the issues raised.
In Bihar and Jharkhand, coal and energy workers mobilised alongside agricultural labourers, while manufacturing and service sector workers in Karnataka and Telangana took part in district-level conventions. Trade unions in Kerala and Odisha reported extensive participation across public services and transport sectors.
Affiliates of the ITUC-Asia Pacific — the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), and the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of India (CFTUI) — played an active role in coordinating actions within the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions.
Workers participating in the strike advanced a number of demands reflecting the aspirations of working people across India. Among the key calls were the repeal of the four labour codes and the restoration of meaningful social dialogue, alongside strengthened living wages and universal social protection.
The striking workers also called for the protection of public sector enterprises and essential services, stronger support for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to sustain rural employment, and economic policies that prioritise workers and citizens over the concentration of wealth in corporate hands.
The mobilisation drew messages of solidarity from across the global labour movement. The International Trade Union Confederation and trade unions from different regions, including the United Kingdom Trades Union Congress (UK TUC), expressed support for the action and the demands raised by Indian workers, recognised that the call for fair wages, secure employment, social protection and democratic rights resonates beyond national borders.
Shoya Yoshida, General Secretary of ITUC-Asia Pacific, emphasised the broader significance of the mobilisation.
“The extraordinary unity shown by India’s working people sends a powerful message across the Asia Pacific region and the world. The demand for decent work, dignity and social justice is growing stronger across India, and when workers stand together, they can shape economic policy toward fairness and inclusion,” Yoshida said.
Echoing the determination expressed by millions of participants, Harbhajan Singh Sidhu, General Secretary of Hind Mazdoor Sabha, stressed the importance of defending workers’ interests:
“We will not allow the hard-earned savings and sweat of our people to be handed over to corporate interests; this nation belongs to its workers and citizens, not to the dictates of powerful capital.”
The 12 February general strike marks a milestone for India’s labour movement. Through coordinated and peaceful collective action, workers and farmers demonstrated their commitment to policies that promote decent work, equitable growth and democratic participation.
The ITUC-Asia Pacific reiterated its continued solidarity with its affiliates in India as they pursue constructive engagement to advance workers’ rights and shared prosperity across the country.
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