Unions to stage rasta roko protests on Feb 12

Mangaluru: To repeal 29 major labour laws, and against the four labour codes, the seed bill, electricity bill, and amendments to the employment guarantee scheme, a nationwide strike led by farmers and workers will take place on Feb 12. Various trade unions will stage widespread road blockades across Dakshina Kannada, said Sunil Kumar Bajal, CITU district general secretary.He told reporters here on Wednesday, that on the day of the nationwide strike, a widespread road blockade will occur simultaneously at over 25 locations, including taluk and zonal centres across Dakshina Kannada, starting at 9 am. Hundreds of workers, farmers, students, youth, women, Dalits, and tribals, along with the conscious citizens of the district, will participate in the road blockades, he said.
To spread the message of the nationwide strike to the public, a three-day vehicle rally will be organised across Dakshina Kannada on Feb 5, 6, and 7. The inauguration ceremony will take place at 9.30 am on Thursday near Lady Goschen Hospital in the city. The All India general secretary of the Karnataka Bank Employees Association, Phanindra K, will inaugurate the event, with bank employees' state leaders Vincent D'Souza and BM Madhava as guests. The rally will travel through all taluks of Dakshina Kannada and conclude at 6 pm on Feb 7 at Yeyyadi, he said. AITUC district general secretary Seetharama Berinja said that the central govt repealed 29 significant laws to weaken the working class, destroy labour rights, suppress labour movements, and protect corporate interests. Under the guise of being business-friendly, it issued a notification to implement four labour codes effective from Nov 21, 2025. These codes aim to roll back the rights earned through long struggles by workers post-Independence, including minimum wages, work hour limits, the right to organise and strike, and social security laws, he said. Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha leader K Yadava Shetty said that the MGNREGS was renamed as the VB-G RAM G, and that this new law will severely impact the lives of rural people suffering from high unemployment, and shift the financial burden onto states.