Workers who began dharnas at factories in Noida on Friday were upset that their counterparts in Haryana had been promised higher wages for the same work, several protesters told The Indian Express on Monday morning.
The four-day-old protest by workers escalated on Monday and quickly degenerated into vandalism and arson across Noida’s industrial belt.
Following labour unrest in Manesar, Haryana, the Haryana government last Thursday issued a notification revising minimum wages with effect from April 1, 2026.
Anuj Kumar (20), who said he had been hired by a garment export unit named Richa Global through a contractor, said workers had taken up the issue with the general manager and human resources manager of the unit in Noida on Friday. Richa Global has operations in Gurgaon as well.
“We work for the same company, why are we paid differently? I earn Rs 11,000 a month, and the salary of workers in Manesar has increased to Rs 18,000. We got to know this through our friends and social media,” Anuj said.
“They (the company representatives) said our wages would be increased by Rs 361 from the salary of April, and that we should raise this matter with the government and not with the company,” he said.
On Saturday, the Uttar Pradesh government announced a series of measures for workers’ welfare, including mandatory double overtime pay and timely wages. A representative of Richa Global declined to comment.
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On Monday, stones were thrown at the gates of the factory of automotive parts manufacturer Motherson in Sector 84. A large group of workers blocked the road in front of Staunch Electronics’ factory in Sector 83. They let an ambulance and a school bus through, but refused to allow any other vehicles to pass. Protests at both these factories had been ongoing since Friday, workers said.
“We have been asking them to increase our salaries for years,” claimed Rahul, who said he does soldering work. “We got to know from social media that some workers in Manesar managed to get a hike in salaries after protesting. We thought if they could do it, so could we,” he said.
Workers alleged that Rs 550 was deducted from their salaries every month for an “ITI diploma” which they said they suspected did not exist. “They just make us take tests every year,” Rahul said.
Workers complained that rising rents and inflation were squeezing their budgets. “The landlords increase rents every year. My landlord increased the rent by Rs 300 this year. After work, I come back home and cook on a chulha. I can no longer afford to buy gas, and if I don’t have the strength to look for firewood after work, my family goes hungry that night,” said Renu, who was protesting in front of Staunch.
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Several women workers alleged that conditions inside their workplaces were unhygienic, including only one bathroom for dozens of workers, which was often not kept clean. “If we complain, they tell us it’s our fault that the bathrooms are so dirty,” one of the protesters said.
Other workers alleged they were not provided adequate safety equipment, and the cost of aprons and slippers were deducted from their salaries. Working hours were long, and there were often no days off, the workers alleged.
“We are supposed to work for 26 days a month and get a weekly day off. But they tell us to come to work on Sundays too. If you don’t, they cut a day’s salary. Even if we work all 30 days, we don’t get paid overtime. We don’t even get our full salaries… they tell us there was something wrong with our attendance, that we didn’t punch in properly, etc,” Rahul said.
