Cars Burnt, Roads Blocked: Haryana Move Sparks Noida Workers’ Protest

A large-scale demonstration by industrial workers in Noida has descended into violence, with protesters hurling stones and damaging cars while police attempt to contain the situation. In Phase 2 of Noida, where a number of factories are situated, protesting workers are seen vandalizing a police van and other cars. Workers from a number of industrial facilities are demonstrating to demand better pay and other perks. To avoid any unfavorable situation, reinforcements have been dispatched quickly. On a Monday morning, the protests caused traffic jams on important routes in Noida.

Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, has stated that businesses must abide by labor regulations and that workers must receive their just compensation. On the other hand, he gave authorities severe instructions to deal with anti-social forces that were attempting to incite workers. The manufacturing workers have been demonstrating for better working conditions and a pay increase over the last few days. The Haryana government’s announcement of a 35% increase in the minimum wage for unskilled workers, from Rs 11,274 to Rs 15,220 per month, sparked the demonstrations. In Haryana, the minimum salary for semi-skilled workers has increased from Rs 12,430.18 to Rs 16,780.74 per month. Additionally, there has been a 35% increase in the minimum wage for skilled and highly trained professionals.

Workers in Noida are now demanding that the Uttar Pradesh government hike the minimum wages, arguing that their contemporaries in Haryana are getting paid more for the same job. The workers are also raising unsafe workplaces, lack of weekly offs and absence of grievance redressal mechanisms.

Lakshmi, one of the protesting workers, said, “We are just asking for two things. One is overtime pay, and the other is a minimum wage of Rs 20,000 a month. We are being exploited in our company. We aren’t given meals at the proper time, and there is no safety for women.”

Another worker, Akshay, said companies in Gurugram have started paying their workers Rs 20,000 a month. “We are getting Rs 10,000 and sometimes Rs 1,000 gets deducted,” he said. Ankur Kumar, a protester, asked, “What is the point of working in big cities if there is no pay parity? We are being exploited by the system. Once we started raising our voices, we were met with violence. We want the government to take steps for our benefit.”

Top policemen have been dispatched to the protest site, according to Noida police, and all activities are being closely watched. According to the police, they are talking to the employees and asking them to exercise restraint. They urged people not to believe rumors and claimed that only a small amount of force was being used to keep the situation under control.

Every employee should receive a fair wage, a secure workplace, and basic amenities, according to Chief Minister Adityanath. He urged industrial organizations to abide by labor regulations and respond to worker concerns. The state labor department has been requested to engage in discussions with industrial units and municipal authorities.

“Those creating nuisance in the name of workers must face strict action and security must be beefed up in industrial areas,” the Chief Minister said, claiming that people must be careful of a “conspiracy to revive almost-dead Naxalism”.

Akhilesh Yadav, chief of Uttar Pradesh’s main opposition Samajwadi Party, said the agitation in Noida is fuelled by the BJP government’s one-sided policy, “which nurtures capitalists but exploits ordinary working employees and salaried labourers”. “BJP-aligned fundraising capitalists keep getting their ATMs filled with cash, but when it comes to workers’ and labourers’ salaries, their ATMs are empty. In this era of runaway inflation, how difficult it is to run a household on a meagre salary — only someone with a family can truly understand that. Salaried workers are saying: We don’t want BJP,” he said. 

Earlier, Noida district magistrate Medha Roopam appealed to workers not to heed rumours. “All worker brothers and sisters, please reach your workplace peacefully and carry out your work, and cooperate in maintaining harmony and law and order in the district. Do not pay attention to rumours. For workers’ assistance, Control Room Numbers: 120-2978231, 120-2978232, 120-2978862, 120-2978702,” she said.