Noida: Workers in Noida’s industrial clusters are demanding higher wages armed with iron rods, cricket bats, stones, and sticks at the factories they are employed at. On Monday morning, hundreds of workers entered and vandalised the factories of Radical Minds Technologies Private Limited, Signify, and Maruti Suzuki in Sector 57. A car was also set on fire and several vehicles were damaged, causing massive traffic jams across Noida’s industrial areas.
The protests, which have been going on for the last three days, saw hundreds of workers barge into factories and vandalise them on Monday, while urging the employees to take part in the demonstration.
“Hamari maangein puri karo. Varna tabah kar denge, (fulfil our demands, esle we will destroy everything),” said Deepak Kumar, who works at an export company at Noida Sector 57, while holding a wooden stick in his hand.
The protests erupted after the Haryana government increased minimum wages by 35 per cent for workers across all categories after protests and clashes between police and workers in Manesar last week.
Earlier, workers in Haryana — unskilled, semi-skilled, and skilled — were earning between Rs 11,000 and Rs 13,000. After the 35 per cent hike, their monthly wages will be now in the range of Rs 15,000-17,000. The current monthly wages of workers in Uttar Pradesh is between Rs 11,000 and Rs 13,000.
Heavy police forces, including personnel of the Rapid Action Force, have been deployed at the protest site. In Sector 57, protestors vandalised many factories before the police could reach the spot. A senior police officer at the site said their priority is to first bring the situation under control. “We will scan CCTV footage and take action against those involved in the vandalism,” added the officer.
At the Radical Minds Technologies factory, protesters broke the windows of the building. Kaushal Kumar, an employee at the company, said that protesters came in the morning and asked everyone to leave. “They have sticks and rods in their hands. They damaged the building,” he said outside the factory.
Long working hours, low wages
Mohini Pal, 27, said she has been working for an export company in Noida Sector 57 for the last two years now. But her salary has not increased.
“I’m earning Rs 10,275 per month. Factory owners are exploiting us as we are doing overtime but they don’t pay extra to us,” said Pal, adding that the owner even taunts them over taking breaks to use the washroom.
Pal said the frustration that had been building up for years has now led to these protests. “Factory owners should increase our wages and do the needful reforms in the system,” she said, adding that Rs 1,350 is deducted from their salary if they take a day off.
On Sunday, Noida DM Medha Roopam had held a meeting with the state’s Principal Secretary (Labour) and Labour commissioner.
“The meeting focused on protection of worker’s interest, double payment for overtime, bonus, weekly holidays and workplace safety,” Roopam wrote in a post on X.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)