Protests over wage hikes by factory workers in Noida (Uttar Pradesh) and Faridabad industrial area (Haryana) erupted early in the morning on Monday and escalated within a few hours with stone pelting and incidents of arson that created chaos and massive traffic jams in the National Capital Territory (NCR).
A large number of workers from various industrial units in Phase-2 and Sector 60 of Noida gathered in the morning to press for their long-pending demand for a salary revision. They raised slogans during the demonstration. However, the protest soon escalated into violence as some participants allegedly vandalised property, pelted stones and set some vehicles on fire.
Officials said the workers were demanding a wage hike on the lines of neighbouring Haryana, among other things. Similar protests were also reported from Sector 62 and Sector 84, including at a Motherson company unit. Protesters blocked the National Highway 9 which is close to the Ghaziabad border and a key route connecting Delhi and western UP.
A spokesperson at Samvardhana Motherson International clarified that the protest was a broader labour issue affecting multiple industries in Noida and some other cities, driven by misinformation being spread about wage revisions.
“Our operations remain compliant with all applicable laws with no material impact on the Company. The safety of our employees remains our top priority. The authorities are working closely with the industry to bring things back to normal as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said.
According to reports, more than 10,000 protestors from several companies in the areas were involved in the protest.
“We are getting paltry salaries. There is inflation in everything we buy now, whether vegetables or other essentials for livelihood. We are just protesting for salary hikes peacefully, but in return we got lathicharged and beaten. We will continue the protest until our salaries are hiked,” said one of the protesters.
UP Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath appealed to all entrepreneurs and industrialists to engage in direct dialogue with their workers and personnel, adding that the government stands with the workers while providing security to the entrepreneurs.
He said the government is providing a guarantee of jobs and self-employment opportunities for the youth, and is working to bring smiles of prosperity to the farmers’ faces. However, certain individuals are conspiring to create unrest by obstructing this peace from moving towards prosperity, he added.
Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav, President, Samajwadi Party blamed the BJP government saying that the BJP had earlier attempted to weaken agriculture through land acquisition and “black laws”, and was now harming trade and business under the influence of multinational corporations and a handful of wealthy individuals.
Published on April 13, 2026