LUCKNOW: Fresh protests by garment workers erupted across Noida on Tuesday, with clashes reported between protesters and police, including incidents of stone-pelting at police vehicles.
The clashes broke out when police attempted to stop the protesters. At two to three locations, the crowd hurled stones at police vehicles. The situation was brought under control shortly, and the protesters were dispersed.
Although the Uttar Pradesh government announced a wage hike of up to 21 per cent across three categories, unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers, for Noida and Ghaziabad late Monday evening, the protesting workers rejected the move, calling it insufficient.
They said they would not settle for anything less than Rs 20,000 as monthly wages.
Workers cited rising rent, food prices and daily expenses as key concerns, with some also pointing to higher pay for similar jobs in other units.
Meanwhile, the protests have disrupted production in several factories. According to local sources, workers did not report to duty at some locations, while in others, operations continued with limited staff.
Employers said a sudden increase in wages would be difficult to implement, citing rising costs and industry pressures.
Rajiv Krishna, along with senior police officials including ADG (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash, monitored the situation from the Lucknow control room. The DGP warned of strict action against “provocative” and “external elements” allegedly involved in the violence, stating that those responsible for arson and damage to public property would be held accountable.
Authorities have stepped up monitoring and outreach efforts to restore normalcy.
Addressing officers via video conference, the DGP directed them to exercise restraint, maintain empathetic engagement with workers, and take firm legal action against those involved in violence, vandalism or spreading rumours.
He said the situation in the district was under control, with no major law and order issues, and added that senior officers were present on the ground and monitoring developments continuously.
Police said they were tracking inputs through social media, news reports and UP-112, and acting promptly on each lead.
According to officials, initial investigations suggest Monday’s protest was coordinated rather than spontaneous, with indications of mobilisation through multiple digital platforms, including social media, WhatsApp groups and a suspected call centre-like setup.
The Chief Minister had constituted a high-powered committee, which reached Noida on Monday and is holding discussions with all stakeholders.
The DGP said the government remains sensitive to workers’ concerns and has taken decisions regarding fair wages. He alleged that certain individuals and groups attempted to disturb the atmosphere and said action is being taken based on electronic and CCTV evidence. He also appealed to workers to maintain peace and cooperate with authorities.
Additional Chief Secretary (MSME) Alok Kumar said the protests turning violent was unacceptable and alleged that some external elements were exploiting the situation to create unrest and disrupt the industrial environment. He emphasised that the government does not support any form of violence.
Chats urge protesters to carry chilli powder
Police sources said several messages and audio clips circulating on social media are urging workers to mobilise. Some messages reportedly ask protesters to carry chilli powder following lathi-charge incidents and call for a continued strike until demands are met.
Meanwhile, Shalini Singh, daughter of former Kaiserganj MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, termed the unrest in Noida unfortunate and blamed it on a failure of intelligence and policing systems.