Noida Factory Workers Demand 20K Salary in Fiery Protests

A labor powder keg has detonated in Noida Phase 2, where wage disparities ignited widespread fury. The trigger? Richa Global’s Faridabad unit conceding 35% hikes—20,000 rupees for technical roles, 15,000 for support staff—prompting Noida employees to cry foul.

‘What’s good for Faridabad should apply here,’ echoed the chorus from Richa’s four Noida sites. Protests snowballed, ensnaring neighboring firms and crippling the export sector’s heartbeat.

Tensions erupted violently Monday at Mothersons premises: stone-throwing mobs set ablaze several vehicles, snarled traffic, and sowed pandemonium. Production lines across the area fell silent as workers vented long-simmering grievances.

Rushing to contain the blaze—literal and figurative—authorities engaged in hours-long parleys. Demands on the table: 20,000 minimum wage, November 30 bonuses into bank accounts, job security, double pay for overtime and Sundays, zero unauthorized deductions, mandatory weekly rest.

The administration touts signed agreements resolving key issues, but workers smell a rat, pointing to evasion on salary equalization. As distrust festers, the industrial area’s stability hangs by a thread, with escalation looming.