Stray incidents of stone-pelting, arson, and vandalism were reported in a few parts of Noida as workers continued protesting for a wage hike on Tuesday.
The protests, now in their sixth day, continued despite a high-level committee of the Uttar Pradesh government announcing an increase in minimum monthly wage for Noida and Ghaziabad late on Monday. Workers said the revision was not sufficient and they had not received any notifications from their employers.
At a press briefing, Deepak Kumar, UP infrastructure and industrial development commissioner (IIDC), who is the head of the committee, said wages had been hiked by 21%, keeping the interest of both the workers and the factory owners, as well as the cost of living in the cities, in mind. To be sure, the changes have yet to be notified by the government.
Speaking at the briefing, UP labour commissioner Markandeya Shahi said, “These are interim revised wages finalised keeping in mind the ongoing situation and the final wages will be fixed on the recommendation of the wage board next month. Currently, the state government is in the process to finalise this and April 23 is the last date for objections and suggestions.”
In a statement, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), which is leading negotiations with the state government, said, “The hikes in minimum wages by Uttar Pradesh are clearly nowhere near the current inflation levels. Neither is it near the levels of raises demanded by workers.”
Industries too were unhappy. “How can factory owners, who are already running in losses due to hiked US tariffs, the Gulf war, and increased oil prices, survive while paying additional salary? After one protest, the government increased salaries. Owners fear that workers will protest again for further increases,” said CP Sharma, president of Handloom Handicraft Exporters Welfare Association.
On Tuesday, the protest started between 9-10am in sectors 70, 74, and 80 of Noida Phase 2. In Sector 80, a police bus was vandalised and stones were pelted at factories in Sector 70, said a senior police official.
However, the demonstrations were not as widespread and did not last as long as Monday. “Today, protesters in multiple parts attempted to disrupt the law and order situation again, but using minimal force, we contained the protest before it could escalate,” Laxmi Singh, commissioner of police, Gautam Budh Nagar, told HT.
In a strong message, the administration warned contractors of strict action in case of any involvement of workers linked to them in acts of unrest or damage to property.
District magistrate Medha Roopam said, “They have been clearly told that they will also be held accountable for any disruptive or damaging behaviour by workers associated with them. Their licences can be cancelled and they may be blacklisted.”
So far, police have registered seven FIRs and arrested 396 people, including four women, so far. “Among those arrested, some are not employed by any company. We are identifying the people involved in instigating the protest,” added Singh.
The agitation, which began on Friday evening, has centred around hosiery and manufacturing units in Phase 2, with workers demanding, among other things, a wage hike on the lines of Haryana, where the government hiked minimum wage by 35%.
Sangeeta (one name) has been working at a stitching factory in Phase 2 for 10 years and, currently, earns ₹13,000 a month. “After paying rent of ₹8,000, it gets hard to spend money on any other essential items except food,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, said he stands with every worker who is the backbone of this country, and whom the Modi government has “come to view as a burden”.
“What unfolded on the streets of Noida yesterday was the final cry of this nation’s workers – a voice that went unheard at every turn, a voice weary from ceaseless pleading,” Gandhi said in a post on X in Hindi.