Indian Workers Clash With Police Over Wage Hike Demand, Crippling Delhi-NCR Traffic

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Violent clashes broke out in Noida in India's National Capital Region (NCR) on Monday, as thousands of workers protested, demanding a hike in wages.

Traffic across Delhi and the NCR was paralysed from morning, as workers on the Delhi-Nodia route clashed with the police in some areas. Vehicles were set on fire and stones were pelted at the police in parts of Noida.

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The workers are demanding better wages and referred to the recent hike granted by the Haryana government, which jacked up wages by a hefty 35 per cent in the state's industrial estates, including Gurgaon, bordering Delhi. Workers in Noida are demanding parity with the wages drawn by their counterparts in Gurgaon.

Akhilesh Yadav, president, Samajwadi Party, lashed out at the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, accusing it of not heeding to the workers' demands.“The administration and the government are fully responsible for what happened in Noida,” he told reporters on Monday.“Why did the government not listen to the workers' demands? Such incidents show the anger of the workers, and it will lead to the end of BJP's rule in the state.”

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath assured the workers that the government was backing them.“The double-engine government under the Prime Minister's leadership is building a model of security, good governance and service,” he told workers while addressing a rally in Muzaffarnagar.“Some people are conspiring to spread unrest and stop the state from moving towards peace and prosperity.”

Earlier on Sunday, local officials in Noida announced measures to ease the working conditions. It included doubling overtime pay, ensuring weekly offs, prompt payment of wages by the 10th of each month and giving bonus to the workers.

Protests have been growing in the industrial hubs in many parts of India over the past few months. The Gulf conflict, which resulted in an acute shortage of cooking gas, has also triggered off agitations. Many of the workers in industrial hubs have been demanding additional wages to pay for the stiff hike in LPG cylinders.

Trade union leader Siddhanth Raj told the media on Monday that the demonstrations in Noida were influenced by similar protests in Manesar in Haryana, on the outskirts of Delhi.“There was an expectation of better wages from April 1 due to the new labour codes,” he told reporters.“However, that did not happen. This has led to the present protest in industrial hubs in Noida.”

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