NOIDA: A significant wage hike in Gurgaon — where workers at another branch of the same company began earning substantially more — sparked widespread unrest among industrial workers in Noida, culminating in violent protests, arson and a citywide traffic collapse on Monday.The trigger was a growing wage disparity after Haryana raised minimum wages by nearly 35%, leaving workers in Noida earning far less across unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled categories. For unskilled workers alone, the gap stood at around Rs 3,907 per month, fuelling anger that had been building over days before erupting on the streets.The protests began around 9.30am in Sector 62, a hub for MSMEs, and quickly escalated as mobs carrying belts and sticks ran amok, torching nearly a dozen vehicles. Over 200 people have been detained.Protesters smashed glass facades of industrial units and hurled stones at anti-riot police deployed to control the situation. Sector 62 and Phase 2 bore the brunt of the violence. Workers, including many women, blocked key roads in Sector 15 near the Chilla border, sectors 59, 60 and 82, and parts of Greater Noida, choking traffic on the Noida Expressway, the Noida stretch of NH-9, Dadri Road and other vital routes connecting the city to Delhi. Police attempts to clear the roads were met with resistance.Parisha, who was stuck on Dadri road for more than an hour, said, “Traffic was at a standstill. There was no road management from the 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.”The gridlock brought everything to a halt — from private cars to ambulances and school buses — while local shops shut down fearing vandalism. Despite diversions and advisories, police struggled to manage the simultaneous road blockades, even as earlier protests last week had hinted at rising resentment following Haryana’s wage hike after unrest in IMT Manesar.What the workers in Noida were upset about was that their counterparts in Gurgaon, working for another branch of the same company, would get 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.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 tosustain 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,” he said.A heavy police deployment of nearly 3,000 personnel gradually helped restore order, though protests continued into the afternoon. Vehicles set on fire included one police vehicle in Phase 2 and several cars outside Vipul Motors, an authorised Maruti service centre in Sector 63, where a mob vandalised the facility and torched 4-5 vehicles.Several women protesters said they would accept nothing less than a minimum wage of Rs 20,000 per 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 USIsrael war with Iran to justify the demand.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 were among the demands, along with raising minimum wages.Police said the situation escalated after a group of workers at Motherson began demonstrating outside the factory 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 said, adding, “Police had to use mild force”.In a statement, Motherson said, “This is a broader labourissue affecting multiple industries in Noida and some other cities, driven by misinformation 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.“Police registered an FIR against Congress social media coordinators Mir Ilyas and Anushi Tiwari for allegedly spreading misinformation about casualties. “As many as five police personnel were injured,” a police officer said. Authorities also identified over 50 bot accounts created within 24 hours to spread misleading content, with the UP STF probing their digital trail.ACP Rajiv Naraiyan Mishra said multiple FIRs had been registered and more than 200 people detained. DGP Rajeev Krishna said efforts were underway to identify those who instigated the violence.
