Noida protests: Despite 21% wage hike, fresh protest breaks out in Sector 80

Noida labour protest: A fresh protest broke out in Noida’s Sector 80 on Tuesday as workers clashed with police over low wages, with some resorting to stone-pelting. Police intervened to disperse the crowd, eventually clearing the area.

Before the violence, police were explaining the upcoming wage hike to workers demanding a monthly pay of at least ₹20,000. Authorities said miscreants tried to exploit the situation.

Earlier, workers from the Ahuja factory held a peaceful protest outside the unit, raising concerns about wages. Several workers expressed dissatisfaction with the recent wage hike and demanded that government-declared rates be displayed at factory gates.

Workers also highlighted disparities in allowances, claiming both skilled and unskilled labourers received similar benefits. They further alleged that employees were terminated within nine months and rehired to avoid increasing allowances.

Concerns were raised about wages during and after the apprenticeship, with workers stating they were initially paid ₹90 per hour, which dropped to ₹50 per hour after a year. Many fear that enforcing government-mandated wages could lead to job losses and increasing uncertainty.

The Noida protests entered their second day on Wednesday, following participation by nearly 45,000 workers from various sectors across 80 locations on the first day. Reports of violence came from Sector 63 and near the Motherson company premises.

Police conducted a flag march to restore normalcy and build public confidence. Senior officials, including the DGP, ADG (Law & Order), and IG (Law & Order), monitored the situation from the Police Headquarters control room since early morning.

Heavy deployment includes 15 companies of RRF, RAF, and PAC in sensitive areas, alongside Quick Reaction Teams. Drone surveillance and sector-wise policing are in place, with close supervision of police outposts by gazetted officers.

Noida Police registered seven FIRs and arrested over 300 individuals involved in vandalism and arson related to Monday’s violence. FIRs were also filed against two X (formerly Twitter) handles for spreading unverified rumours, and over 50 bot accounts were identified, many created within 24 hours.

The Uttar Pradesh government announced that a Special Task Force will investigate the digital trail of these accounts. Police urged citizens to rely only on official information and avoid sharing unverified content.

UP DGP Rajeev Krishna appealed for peace and restraint, warning of strict action against those involved in violence, arson, and property damage. He added that compensation would be recovered from offenders, assuring the public that the situation is under control with adequate police deployment.