Yogi govt hikes worker wages amid Noida protest; also claims ‘Pak link’, ‘Naxal revival bid’, points to WhatsApp groups| India News
The Uttar Pradesh government announced an interim minimum-wage hike of around 21% for factory workers in Gautam Buddha Nagar and Ghaziabad on Tuesday, following days of escalating protests in Noida’s industrial belt that left dozens of vehicles torched, over 350 people arrested, and at least five police personnel injured. But even as it moved to address the workers’ core demand, the state government alleged a conspiracy behind the stir — invoking Pakistan, Naxalism, and “anti-national forces”. Heavy police deployment in Noida’s Phase 2 industrial area after workers’ protest over wage hike demands turned violent. (HT Photo) The protests, which began on April 10 at the Hosiery Complex in Noida’s Phase 2, had been building for months. Workers earning between ₹11,000 and ₹15,000 a month — among the lowest wages in the National Capital Region — watched neighbouring Haryana raise its minimum wage by 35% in the first week of April, from ₹14,000 to ₹19,000. Workers doing comparable work just across the state border wanted the same, hence the central demand was a minimum monthly wage …
