By Tripura24 News Desk | Agartala Wednesday, January 28, 2026
AGARTALA: The Tripura Auto Rickshaw Workers’ Union, an affiliate of the All India Road Transport Workers’ Federation (AIRTWF), intensified its street-level mobilization today to ensure the total success of the upcoming Nationwide General Strike on February 12, 2026. Braving the afternoon heat, union members were seen across major intersections of the capital, decorating the city with red flags, festoons, and posters in a massive show of strength.
The Battle Against “Anti-Worker” Labour Codes
The primary catalyst for this mobilization is the central government’s move to implement the four new Labour Codes, which the union claims will push workers back into a “pre-independence era of exploitation.” During the campaign, union leaders addressed the drivers at various auto-stands, including Battala, Nagerjala, and City Centre.
“The BJP government at the Centre is not just anti-worker; it is anti-farmer and anti-common man. By dismantling 29 existing labor laws and replacing them with these four draconian codes, they are handing over the rights of the working class to big corporate houses. February 12 is our day to respond,” a senior union representative stated during the flag-hoisting drive.
Key Demands of the AIRTWF in Tripura:
- Repeal the Labour Codes: Immediate withdrawal of the Codes on Wages, Social Security, Industrial Relations, and Occupational Safety.
- Control of Fuel Prices: Demand for the reduction and rationalization of petrol and CNG prices, which have severely dented the daily earnings of auto drivers in Tripura.
- Social Security for Unorganized Sector: Ensuring that transport workers are covered under ESI and Provident Fund (PF) benefits.
- Opposing Privatization: Halting the privatization of public transport and the “corporatization” of the transport sector.
Unified Front with Farmers
The campaign also highlighted the synergy between the labor unions and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM). The union members distributed leaflets explaining how the central government’s policies, such as the Draft Seed Bill and the replacement of MGNREGA with the VB-GRAM G, are equally harmful to the families of workers who depend on rural income.
Preparation for Total Shutdown
The Tripura Auto Rickshaw Workers’ Union has called for a total “Chakka Bandh” (wheels-off) on February 12.
- Public Outreach: Over the next two weeks, the union will conduct “door-to-door” campaigns at every auto syndicate in the state.
- Support Base: The union is coordinating with other transport bodies, including bus and truck owners’ associations, to ensure that the strike paralyzes the state’s transport network as a mark of protest.
The visual landscape of Agartala is rapidly changing as the “red brigade” of the transport union covers the city’s heart with strike call materials, signaling a high-stakes confrontation between the labor federations and the administration in the coming month.
