India, Feb. 8 -- Hundreds of contract workers staged a massive bike rally in Digboi on Sunday, protesting against the new labour codes proposed by the Central government and urging public support for the nationwide general strike scheduled on February 12.

The protesters warned that the implementation of the codes would undermine job security, allowing employers to terminate workers at will and leaving employees vulnerable. They said the new system would also deprive workers of rightful wages and threaten the existence of trade unions.

"Earlier, there were 19 labour laws, which the Centre has now consolidated into four codes. That is why all the contractual labour unions at the Digboi Refinery have taken to the streets," said a protester...