Violent labour protest triggers Monday mayhem in Noida | Noida News
NOIDA: Violent protests by industrial workers demanding UP govt follow Haryana’s move to hike minimum wages by 35% froze Noida on Monday, leaving commuters stranded on roads for hours through the morning and a trail of arson and vandalism in and around its factory clusters.Haryana’s minimum wages per month for unskilled workers is currently Rs 3,907 more than UP’s.
A police bike torched during the protest
The demonstrations, which began around 9.30am in Sector 62, home to many MSMEs, intensified quickly as mobs carrying belts and sticks ran amok, setting nearly a dozen vehicles on fire, smashed glass facades of several industrial units, and pelted anti-riot cops deployed to contain the protests with stones.Sector 62 and Phase 2, the other major industry hub, bore the brunt of the violence. Protesting workers, many of them women, also blocked roads in Sector 15, near Chilla border, sectors 59, 60 and 82, and parts of Greater Noida by staging sit-in protests., choking traffic on Noida Expressway, the Noida section of NH-9. Dadri road, and other key traffic routes between the city and Delhi. Police teams were sent to convince them to clear the road, but the protesters resisted any attempt to be moved.
Vehicles stuck in a traffic jam as factory workers stage protest
Parisha, who was stuck on Dadri road for more than an hour, said, “Traffic was at a standstill. There was no road management from police.” Ankit Kumar, a college student, said he feared missing an exam. “Even alternative routes are blocked. The entire city is choked.” Neha Sharma, another commuter, said, “Public transport has collapsed. It’s frustrating.” Depali, who was stuck before the Chilla border for nearly two hours while on her way to work at ITO in Delhi from her house along Noida Expressway, said she missed important meetings. “I began working from the car because traffic just would not move. And there were no cops around.”
Police escort child to safety amid violence
Cars to ambulances and school buses, nothing escaped the gridlock. Local shopkeepers were forced to down shutters, fearing vandalism. Police tried to reduce the impact on traffic by making diversions and issuing advisories but appeared overwhelmed by the number of places the protesters blocked, even though a smaller demonstration last Friday – after Haryana’s decision to raise the wages following protests in IMT Manesar – showed discontent over pay disparity was simmering.What industrial workers in Noida were particularly upset about was that their counterparts in Gurgaon, working for another branch of the same company, would be getting paid substantially more than what they do across unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled categories. Dharmendra Nagar, a labour contractor, said workers in Noida learned about the wage revision from their counterparts in Haryana and that immediately created discontent. “The message soon spread to factories and workers began protesting at multiple units in Noida. The agitation remained mild for two to three days before turning violent on Monday,” he said, adding no union or organisation was leading the protests.
Police resort to a lathi charge
Tularam, who works at a sports goods factory in Phase 2, said he earns Rs 13,000 a month while working 12-hour shifts from 9am to 9pm without a weekly off. “Any leave results in a salary deduction. With inflation rising, it is difficult to sustain my family,” he said, adding that he spends Rs 6,000 just on rent. “In case of illness, even medicines are unaffordable. That is why workers like me are protesting for higher minimum wages,” he said.While a large police deployment – nearly 3,000 cops – managed to gradually clear up the roads and restore normalcy, protests continued into the afternoon. The cars that were set on fire, which included one police vehicle, were in Phase 2 and outside Vipul Motors, an authorised Maruti service centre, in Sector 63. According to eyewitnesses, a mob armed with sticks and clubs smashed windows of cars parked there and set 4-5 vehicles ablaze. The service centre was also vandalised.
Anti-riot cops deployed to contain the protests
Several women who participated in sit-in protests said they would settle for nothing less than a minimum wage of Rs 20,000 a month. “For eight hours’ work, that is the minimum we should be earning. However, all we get are measly raises of Rs 280-300 every six months,” one of them said. Another cited soaring LPG prices in the black market after the US-Israel war with Iran to justify the demand for higher wages.Vishal Kumar, who works at a manufacturing unit in Sector 63, said fixed duty hours, overtime pay and compliance with the new central labour code was part of the demands along with raising minimum wages.Police sources said protests were initially peaceful but took a violent turn after a group of workers at Motherson began a demonstration outside the factory premises in Phase 2. “The workers came for their shift in buses but started protesting. In no time, some of the workers carrying pliers climbed atop the walls and cut the wire fence. More people joined in and police were called,” a senior police officer told TOI. He added that police teams tried to pacify the workers, but they turned aggressive and started stone-pelting due to which “police had to use mild force”.
More than 200 people have been detained
In a statement, Motherson said, “This is a broader labour issue affecting multiple industries in Noida and some other cities, driven by misinformation being spread about wage revisions. Our operations remain compliant with all applicable laws with no material impact on the company. The safety of our employees remains our top priority. The authorities are working closely with the industry to bring things back to normal as quickly as possible.”Noida Police said they registered an FIR against Congress social media coordinators Mir Ilyas and Anushi Tiwari for falsely claiming on their X account that 14 people had died and 32 were injured. “As many as five police personnel were injured,” a police officer said. Police said they had also identified over 50 bot accounts created within the last 24 hours for attempting to spread misinformation related to labour protests. Uttar Pradesh STF has been tasked with investigating the digital trail of these accounts.Additional commissioner of police Rajiv Naraiyan Mishra said multiple FIRs were being registered at different police stations and more than 200 people had been detained.DGP Rajeev Krishna said police are identifying elements who instigated violence during the protests. The DGP said “provocative elements” and “external elements” involved in the unrest are being traced. “Firm legal action will follow once their identities are established,” Krishna said.Later in the evening, the DGP and ADG Amitabh Yash spoke to all SHOs via video conferencing and instructed them to maintain a calm and sensitive approach while dealing with workers and continue dialogue while taking action against elements involved in violence, arson, vandalism and spreading rumours.
Noida, Apr 13 (ANI): Employees of a company protest demanding a salary increment, in Noida on Monday. (ANI Photo/Sumit)
Eight companies of Provisional Armed Constabulary and Rapid Action Force have been stationed in the city to contain any further violence arising from protests.
