Scattered incidents of stone-pelting, arson and vandalism were reported in a few parts of Noida as workers continued to protest against wage hike on Tuesday. The protests, which entered their sixth day, continued despite a high-level committee of the Uttar Pradesh government announcing an increase in the monthly minimum wages in Noida and Ghaziabad late on Monday. The workers said the review was insufficient, and they did not receive any notifications from their employers.
Addressing a press conference, UP Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner (IIDC) Deepak Kumar, who is the chairman of the committee, said wages have gone up by 21%, keeping in mind the interest of both workers and factory owners, as well as the cost of living in cities. Certainly the changes have not been notified by the government yet.
Read also | Yogi govt hikes workers’ wages amid Noida protest; He also claims that the ‘Pak link’ and ‘Naxal revival show’ refer to WhatsApp groups
Speaking at the press conference, UP Labor Commissioner Markandeya Shahi said: “These are revised interim wages that have been finalized keeping in mind the ongoing situation and the final wages will be decided based on the recommendation of the Wages Board next month. Currently, the state government is finalizing this and April 23 is the last date for objections and suggestions.”
In a statement, the Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), which is leading negotiations with the state government, said, “It is clear that the minimum wage increases in Uttar Pradesh are nowhere near the current levels of inflation. Nor are they close to the levels of increases that workers are demanding.”
Read also | ‘2 hours 45 minutes drive’: Commuters bear brunt as Noida fare protests hit traffic
Industries too were unhappy. “How can factory owners, who are already suffering losses due to rising US tariffs, the Gulf War and rising oil prices, survive while paying additional salaries? After one protest, the government has increased salaries. Factory owners fear that workers will protest again to demand more hikes,” said C P Sharma, president of the Handicrafts Exporters Welfare Association.
The protests began on Tuesday between 9 and 10 am in sectors 70, 74 and 80 of Phase 2 in Noida. In Sector 80, a police bus was vandalized and stones were pelted at factories in Sector 70, a senior police official said.
But the demonstrations were not as widespread and did not continue as they did on Monday. “Today, protesters in multiple parts tried to disrupt the law and order situation again, but using minimum force, we contained the protest before it escalated,” Lakshmi Singh, Commissioner of Police, Gautam Budh Nagar, told HT.
Read also | “We just want fair wages… Why are the police beating us?”: Workers protest in Noida
In a strong message, the management warned contractors to take strict action if any workers associated with them are involved in disturbances or damage to property.
“They have been clearly told that they will also be held liable for any disruptive or harmful behavior by workers associated with them. Their licenses could be canceled and they may be blacklisted,” District Magistrate Medha Rupam said.
So far, the police have registered seven FIRs and arrested 396 people, including four women, so far. “Among those arrested, some of them do not work for any company. We are identifying the people involved in inciting the protest,” Singh added.
The protests, which began on Friday evening, centered around hosiery and manufacturing units in the second phase, with workers demanding, among other things, a wage hike on the lines of Haryana, where the government raised the minimum wage by 35%.
Read also | Noida workers protest continues despite wage revision; More than 300 arrests. This is why
Sangeeta (one name) has been working in a sewing factory in Phase II for 10 years and is currently earning $13000 per month. “After paying the rent $“8,000, it is difficult to spend money on any other essential items except food,” she said.
Meanwhile, Leader of the 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 “consider as a burden”.
“What happened on the streets of Noida yesterday was the last cry of the workers of this nation – a voice that went unheard at every turn, a voice weary of incessant pleading,” Gandhi said in a post on the Hindi language website X.
