On 28 and 29 March 2022, a joint platform of ten central trade unions held a two-day nationwide general strike against the Centre's four labour codes, privatisation and the National Monetisation Pipeline, with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha calling a rural bandh in support. Kerala largely shut down, banks and public transport were hit in several states, and most big cities saw little impact. The Kerala High Court declared government staff participation illegal on day one. The demands were not met, and the labour codes took effect in November 2025.
Key takeaways
- Ten central trade unions, with bank unions and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha's support, struck on 28-29 March 2022 against the labour codes and privatisation; the BMS called it "politically motivated" and stayed out.
- AITUC claimed over 20 crore participants. Media reported a near-total shutdown in Kerala, partial disruption elsewhere and little impact in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru.
- The Kerala High Court declared government staff participation illegal; Kerala later withheld one day's pay of about 1.97 lakh employees. West Bengal ordered offices open on a no-work-no-pay basis.
- The codes were not withdrawn. All four took effect on 21 November 2025.
Background: the labour codes and the strike call
In 2019 and 2020, Parliament merged 29 central labour laws into four codes on wages, industrial relations, social security and occupational safety. Labour is on the Concurrent List, so both the Centre and the states had to frame rules before the codes could take effect PTI via Outlook Business.
Unions objected, among other things, that the industrial relations code lets firms with up to 300 workers retrench without state permission and that the wage code sets only a floor-level wage National Herald.
The strike was first called for 23-24 February 2022. On 29 January the joint platform deferred it to 28-29 March, citing the third Covid wave, the Uttar Pradesh assembly election on 23 February and local body elections in several states. It said the new dates fell while the second half of Parliament's budget session would be sitting IANS via Morung Express.
The demands
The platform's charter ran to 12 points PTI via Tribune. The main demands reported by PTI were PTI via Morung Express:
- Scrapping of the four labour codes.
- No privatisation "in any form", and scrapping of the National Monetisation Pipeline.
- Higher allocation for wages under MGNREGA.
- Regularisation of contract workers.
Bank unions opposed the plan, announced in the 2021-22 Budget, to privatise two public sector banks, and also wanted higher deposit interest rates and lower service charges. The platform also condemned the EPF interest cut to 8.1% and fuel price rises PTI via Business Today.
Who joined, and who stayed out
The joint forum was made up of INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC. Unions said strike notices had been served in coal, steel, oil, telecom, postal, income tax, copper, banking and insurance PTI via Tribune. The platform welcomed the Samyukt Kisan Morcha's decision to observe a "Rural Bandh" on both days PTI via Business Today.
The All India Bank Employees' Association joined, and BEFI and AIBOA extended support ETV Bharat.
Claim · BMS The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh said it would not take part. "The call for the strike is a politically motivated one just to ensure the survival of political parties these unions are affiliated one and have nothing to do with workers' interests," it said Organiser.
Timeline
Centre warns its staff
The Department of Personnel and Training issues a memorandum on the strike by central employees; departments refuse leave for 28-29 March ICAR-CPCRI office order.
BPCL unions restrained
The Kerala High Court restrains five unions at BPCL Kochi from striking, accepting BPCL's plea that strikes in a public utility are barred during conciliation under Section 22 of the Industrial Disputes Act Verdictum.
Day two
Unions hold a dharna at Jantar Mantar in Delhi PTI via Tribune.
Impact by state and sector
Claim · Unions AITUC general secretary Amarjeet Kaur said "over 20 crore participated in the strike on Monday and the number would be more on the second day" PTI via Tribune. The forum said there was a "bandh-like situation" in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Assam, Haryana and Jharkhand. Kaur said the entire coal belt of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh was affected PTI via Morung Express. No independent count was found.
Documented PTI reported public transport hit in Tamil Nadu, Bengal and Kerala, while health, power, fuel, public offices and schools were unaffected on day one. New-generation private banks were hardly hit PTI via Morung Express. AIBEA's C H Venkatachalam said the impact was "prominent in eastern India" PTI. Thousands of workers at SAIL, RINL and NMDC struck, affecting steel plants and mines PTI.
- Kerala: State buses, private buses and autorickshaws stayed off the road; milk, hospital and ambulance services ran PTI via Tribune. Only 32 of 4,824 staff came to the Secretariat on day one. On day two it was 174 to 176, per IANS and Onmanorama Onmanorama IANS via Business Standard. Shops stayed shut and tourism groups reported cancellations Deccan Herald.
- West Bengal: Protesters blocked roads and stopped trains at some stations on the Howrah and Sealdah sections. Railway officials reported no major disruption, and offices, schools and businesses ran normally in most of the state PTI via EastMojo.
- Haryana: Roadways buses were suspended at several depots and Section 144 was imposed near bus stands in some districts PTI via Tribune.
- Maharashtra: Impact on Mumbai was limited. Power utility staff struck despite a threat of MESMA, and Energy Minister Nitin Raut then assured them none of the companies would be privatised Outlook.
- Big cities: Onmanorama reported no impact on normal life in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru Onmanorama.
Claim · Traders, transporters The Confederation of All India Traders called the strike a "total flop" in the informal sector. The All India Motor Transport Congress, which did not join, said "Our trucks are running smoothly all over the country" PTI via Morung Express.
The Kerala High Court order
On 28 March a bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly heard a petition by lawyer Chandra Chooden Nair S, who said the Left government was aiding the strike by giving leave with salary instead of declaring dies-non PTI via Tribune. The Advocate General argued the plea was late and that disciplinary rules already existed.
The court declared government servants' participation "illegal" under Rule 86 of the Kerala Government Servants' Conduct Rules, 1960, and ordered the state to stop staff joining and to run vehicles so they could reach work LiveLaw.
Hours later the Chief Secretary ordered that "unauthorised absence of employees participating in the strike will be treated as dies-non" under Rule 14A of the Kerala Service Rules PTI via TNM. CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the right to strike was the people's right and the court's stand was not "acceptable" IANS via Business Standard.
In January 2023 the state told the court it had withheld pay of 1,96,931 employees for 28 March and 1,56,845 for 29 March, and taken disciplinary action against 24 and 4 employees respectively. The bench disposed of the petition and directed the state to proceed PTI via Onmanorama.
West Bengal's no-work-no-pay order
The Trinamool Congress government's 26 March memo said all offices would stay open, no leave would be granted, and absence would be dies-non except for hospitalisation, bereavement, prior illness or leave sanctioned before 25 March. Heads of office were told to issue show-cause notices and finish action by 13 April West Bengal Finance Department. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said the state did not want to lose person-days to bandhs; CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim called the stand a "double standard" Madhyamam, citing The Indian Express.
Incidents and arrests
- Pindimana, Ernakulam: Panchayat secretary K Manoj was seriously injured when strike supporters attacked him for coming to work. Three BJP workers and a police officer were also hurt. Police arrested CPM local secretary Biju P Nair and member Jaison Baby Onmanorama.
- Kozhikode and Tirur: A trader who opened his shop and an autorickshaw driver taking a patient to hospital were attacked.
- Kollam: Protesters locked 15 teachers inside a government school at Chithara for attending work Onmanorama.
- Munnar: Devikulam MLA A Raja was injured in a clash between police and protesters on 29 March.
No nationwide or state-level count of detentions was found in the reporting reviewed.
Both accounts
Unions' account
The platform called the strike a protest against "the anti-worker, anti-farmer, anti-people and anti-national policies" of the Centre PTI via TNM. Joint action committee secretary Elamaram Kareem accused a section of Kerala media of portraying the strike only as an inconvenience Onmanorama.
Government's account
Government's position The Centre did not change course. In December 2021 Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav rejected the demand to repeal the codes in the Rajya Sabha, saying states were already implementing them National Herald. In July 2022 the ministry said almost all states had draft rules and the codes would be implemented "at an appropriate time" PTI via Outlook Business. No formal Labour Ministry statement on the strike itself was found.
Outcome
- Demands: Not met. The labour codes were not withdrawn.
- Pay cuts: Kerala withheld pay of about 1.97 lakh staff for day one and 1.57 lakh for day two.
- Arrests: Two arrested over the Pindimana attack; no overall figure found.
- Haryana: The state moved to act against five roadways general managers, recommending a chargesheet for the Hisar GM, over bus disruption Tribune.
What happened to the labour codes
By July 2022, 31 states and UTs had pre-published draft rules under the wage code and 24 under the safety code PTI via Outlook Business. The government made all four codes effective from 21 November 2025, saying they rationalise 29 laws PIB. Unions called it a "war on working people" Deccan Herald. The Centre notified final central rules under all four codes on 8 May 2026 EY.
The unions struck again on 9 July 2025 and 12 February 2026. Those strikes are covered on our July 2025 Bharat Bandh and farmers' Bharat Bandh 2026 pages.
Questions people ask
Why was there a Bharat Bandh on 28-29 March 2022?
Ten central trade unions struck against the four labour codes, privatisation and the National Monetisation Pipeline, and for more MGNREGA funding.
How many people joined the strike?
AITUC claimed more than 20 crore on day one. No independent count exists; media reported heavy impact in Kerala and partial impact elsewhere.
What did the Kerala High Court say?
It declared government employees' participation illegal under Rule 86 of the Conduct Rules. Kerala then declared absence dies-non, meaning no pay.
Were the labour codes withdrawn?
No. All four took effect on 21 November 2025, and final central rules were notified on 8 May 2026.
Sources
- IANS via Morung Express: Trade unions' strike on Feb 23-24 deferred to March 28-29, 29 Jan 2022
- PTI via Business Today: Trade unions to go on nationwide strike on March 28, 29, 24 Mar 2022
- Organiser: Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh not to participate in strike on March 28 and 29, 24 Mar 2022
- ICAR-CPCRI: Office order citing DoPT OM No. 33011/1(s)/2022-Estt.(BII) of 22 Mar 2022, 28 Mar 2022
- Verdictum: Kerala HC restrains 5 unions in BPCL from participating in nationwide strike, 26 Mar 2022
- Government of West Bengal, Finance (Audit) Department: Memo No. 1250-F(P2), attendance on 28-29 March 2022, 26 Mar 2022
- Madhyamam: TMC runs on Mamata's whims and fancies: BJP, 29 Mar 2022
- PTI via Morung Express: Banking, public transport services hit on day 1 of Bharat bandh, 28 Mar 2022
- PTI via Morung Express: Nationwide strike hits banking operations and public transport, 28 Mar 2022
- PTI via Tribune: Nationwide strike hits banking, public transport services in West Bengal, Kerala, 28 Mar 2022
- PTI via Tribune: Central trade unions' nationwide strike enters day 2, 29 Mar 2022
- ETV Bharat: Nationwide strike of trade unions enters second day, 29 Mar 2022
- PTI via EastMojo: Normal life hit in parts of Bengal as central trade unions begin 2-day strike, 28 Mar 2022
- PTI via Tribune: Public transport services affected in Haryana, 28 Mar 2022
- Tribune: Strike-hit Haryana to act against 5 roadways GMs, 30 Mar 2022
- Outlook: Nationwide strike has limited impact in Maharashtra, 28 Mar 2022
- Deccan Herald: Resentment over strikes in Kerala; HC directs govt to prohibit employees from joining stir, 28 Mar 2022
- PTI via Tribune: Kerala High Court directs state to prevent govt employees from joining strike, 28 Mar 2022
- LiveLaw: Govt servants can't participate in any strike; absence from work 'dies non': Kerala High Court, 28 Mar 2022
- PTI via The News Minute: Kerala issues 'no work, no pay' order after HC pulls up state, 29 Mar 2022
- IANS via Business Standard: Kerala govt miffed with HC for asking it to declare strike 'illegal', 29 Mar 2022
- Onmanorama: No show of govt employees at Secretariat, 15 teachers locked inside school in Kollam, 29 Mar 2022
- Onmanorama: Protesters attack panchayat secretary in Ernakulam, trader in Kozhikode, 29 Mar 2022
- PTI via Onmanorama: Proceed with action against agitating employees: Kerala HC to State govt, 5 Jan 2023
- National Herald: Trade unions steadfast in demanding repeal of labour codes, Dec 2021
- PTI via Outlook Business: At least 24 states/UTs pre-published draft rules on four codes, 18 Jul 2022
- PIB: Government makes the four Labour Codes effective, 21 Nov 2025
- Deccan Herald: 'War on working people': Trade unions hit out at labour codes, Nov 2025
- EY: Final rules published by Central Government under new labour codes, 10 May 2026