Report of Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) correspondent
Bhiwandi is a significant commercial and industrial city in the Thane district of Maharashtra. Bhiwandi initially developed as an industrial hub for the textile industry and has a large number of power looms and handlooms. Due to its proximity to Mumbai and the Nhava Sheva port, it has developed into a huge warehousing hub over last decade. Thus, it is predominantly a working class town.
On 16th December 2025, a militant demonstration was organized in Bhiwandi against the four new labour codes notified by the central government on 21 November 2025, under the joint banner of the Kamgar Sanghatana Sanyukt Kruti Samiti. A large number of men and women workers gathered in front of the tehsildar’s office in Bhiwandi to denounce the four labour codes.
The demonstration was addressed by Comrade Dr. Das from Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC), Comrade Sunil Chavan from Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and Comrade Tyagi from All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC). All the speakers denounced the four labor codes as they are anti-people, anti-worker and anti-national.
They explained
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how the new labour codes will provide legal protection to capitalist owners to employ an increasing number of workers on contract basis
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how the codes will end up reducing the legally enforceable minimum wages
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how the codes will make it extremely difficult to organize strike struggles
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how women workers will be further attacked by being forced to work in night shifts
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how the codes legally allow capitalist owners to shut down any enterprise without government approval as long as the enterprise employs less than 300 workers
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how the codes allow capitalist owners to self-certify adherence to various labour codes and safety guidelines, thus further adversely impacting the working conditions of workers
They demanded repeal of these laws and called upon all workers to intensify their struggle for their rights.
Hundreds of leaflets, briefly explaining the anti-worker, anti-people nature of the four new labour codes, were distributed among the citizens of Bhiwandi. The demonstration culminated with a delegation submitting a written memorandum that expressed the complete opposition of the workers of Bhiwandi to the four new labour codes.
