Amaravati, February 12, 2026: Left-affiliated groups and trade unions held a protest rally in Vijayawada today as part of a nationwide Bharat Bandh called by 10 central trade unions.
The march began at Ratham Centre and ended at Lenin Centre, where speakers condemned policies from both the Narendra Modi-led central government and the TDP coalition in Andhra Pradesh.
They described these as harmful to the working class, pointing to the four Labour Codes that replace older laws and reduce protections on wages, job security, and union rights.
Participants demanded repeal of the codes, a national minimum wage of ₹30,000, strict enforcement of labour laws, equal pay for equal work, and regularisation of about 3 lakh contract workers in the state.
They also opposed privatisation moves, including at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, and called for withdrawal of changes to seed, employment guarantee, and electricity laws, plus scrapping of contributory pension schemes.
