FARIDABAD: Protests over minimum wage implementation intensified across parts of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, with factory workers blocking roads, clashing with police, and triggering a wider law-and-order response across industrial hubs.In Faridabad’s Sarai Khawaja area, employees of an automotive components unit staged demonstrations for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, demanding enforcement of the revised minimum wages announced by the Haryana government. The protest briefly escalated when workers attempted to block a key service road along the Delhi–Agra Highway near a Motherson facility, prompting police intervention.Around 1,000 workers from the morning shift gathered near the factory around 8am, disrupting traffic movement. Police said 23 protesters were detained and an FIR registered after efforts to clear the road.The unrest follows Monday’s large-scale blockade of the Delhi–Agra National Highway near Prithla village in Palwal, as well as in Sarai Khawaja, where traffic remained paralysed for hours. Protesters alleged exploitative conditions, claiming they were being made to work up to 16 hours a day for a monthly salary of around Rs 11,000.“With rising prices, survival on such wages is impossible. When we protested, police resorted to lathi-charge,” one worker alleged.Officials, however, attributed the agitation to misinformation and a lack of clarity regarding the wage revision. Authorities said industries have been directed to inform workers that the revised wages, approved by the state cabinet on April 8, will be effective retrospectively from April 1. The new minimum wage has been fixed at Rs 15,220 per month, according to the government.Police said the situation in Faridabad was brought under control by the afternoon. “We reached the spot, engaged with workers, and cleared the road by 2 pm. Preventive action was taken against 23 individuals,” said a local SHO, adding that efforts are underway to identify others involved.In a parallel development, Palwal police have also registered a case against unidentified protesters involved in the highway blockade, invoking charges related to unlawful assembly, rioting, and obstruction of public ways under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions of the Highway Act. CCTV footage is being scanned to identify those responsible.Another group of workers staged a sit-in outside a company office in Faridabad’s Sector 37 on Tuesday morning. The protest continued for several hours before police dispersed the gathering, detaining around 20–25 employees, who were later released. While workers alleged forceful eviction, police maintained the action was necessary to restore order.The ripple effects of the wage issue were also visible in Noida, where recent protests turned violent, prompting a massive security clampdown. Uttar Pradesh DGP Rajeev Krishna said electronic and CCTV evidence has identified individuals and groups allegedly responsible for instigating unrest.“Action is being taken based on concrete evidence. We appeal to workers not to be misled by vested interests,” he said, adding that the situation is now under control.According to police, nearly 42,000 workers had protested across 83 locations in Noida on Monday, though violence was limited to two areas. More than 300 people have been detained so far, with seven FIRs registered.Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh said authorities are also probing the role of organised networks, pointing to the creation of multiple WhatsApp groups used to mobilise workers via QR codes.According to top sources in the police, over 350 suspects have been rounded up so far, while more than 200 individuals have been formally arrested, including several accused of carrying out arson in a “methodical and pre-planned manner.”While factory protests subsided, a separate agitation by domestic workers erupted in Noida’s Sector 121 on Tuesday. Hundreds gathered outside residential societies demanding higher wages and fixed monthly salaries, along with weekly leave. The protest saw stone-pelting and minor damage to vehicles before police restored order.Officials reiterated that both Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments have announced revised wage structures effective retrospectively from April 1, and urged workers to avoid disruption and engage through formal channels.
