Fact-finding team rejects ‘Pakistani conspiracy’ claim behind Noida labour unrest, cites wage crisis
New Delhi: A fact-finding team comprising former bureaucrats, journalists and lawyers has rejected claims that the recent labour unrest in Noida was the result of a “Pakistani conspiracy”, stating that stagnant wages and growing wage disparities with neighbouring states were the real reasons behind the protests.
The team was constituted by democratic rights group Jan Hastakshep and included S.S. Nehra, Ish Mishra, Ashok Sharma, Anil Dubey and M.Z. Ali.
The team visited Noida on April 24 and interacted with workers from several industrial units, shopkeepers and local residents affected by the unrest.
According to the statement issued by the team, no evidence was found to support allegations made by sections of the administration and parts of the media that foreign elements were behind the protests.
Instead, the investigators said workers’ anger had been building for years over low wages, rising inflation and the gap between wages in Noida and neighbouring Delhi and Haryana.
Workers told the team that factories shifting operations from Delhi and Gurugram to Noida continued paying lower wages after relocation, despite better wage structures in those places.
The report said resentment increased further after workers came to know that wages in Haryana units had risen sharply following a hike in minimum wages there.
This comparison, along with stagnant wages in Noida for more than a decade, reportedly led to the first sit-in protest at a garment manufacturing unit in Sector 83 earlier this month.
According to the team, protests later spread to industrial clusters in Sectors 59, 60, 62, 83 and 84, drawing tens of thousands of workers onto the streets.
The fact-finding group alleged that police action worsened the situation and claimed that more than 1,000 workers were detained. It also said some families were not informed about the whereabouts of those taken into custody for several days.
The team noted that the state government later issued notices to 43 contractors, cancelled licences of 10 contractors and announced a 21 per cent wage increase. It said these measures indicated recognition of wage-related irregularities rather than proof of any outside conspiracy.
A trade union leader quoted in the report said wages were not a major issue in Noida and Greater Noida two decades ago because they were higher than in many other states.
However, he said conditions changed over the years as wages increased in Delhi and Haryana but did not rise similarly in Uttar Pradesh. He alleged that companies began fixing wages arbitrarily, leading to greater exploitation.
He also said most industries in Noida now function through contract labour, with workers hired through contractors who do not provide benefits.
The team concluded that the unrest reflected long-standing labour grievances caused by wage stagnation and rising living costs. It called for implementation of revised minimum wages, linking wages to inflation, and withdrawal of cases filed against workers involved in the protests.
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BJP takes out torch rally in Ranchi over women's quota bill
Ranchi (PTI): Jharkhand BJP on Tuesday took out a torch rally in Ranchi against the Congress-led opposition alliance for allegedly obstructing the implementation of the women's reservation bill in the Lok Sabha.
Led by the BJP women's wing, the 'Mahila Aakrosh Mashal Yatra' was taken out from Ranchi's Jaipal Singh Stadium to Albert Ekka Chowk.
Jharkhand BJP president Aditya Sahu, who also took part in the procession, said, "By opposing the Women's Reservation Bill, the Congress-led opposition alliance in Lok Sabha has committed an injustice against women in the country. The people will never forgive them."
Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth said, "Historic decisions are being taken to empower women under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but the opposition is obstructing women's rights due to its narrow politics."
Jharkhand BJP women's wing president Aarti Singh said that the women of Jharkhand have now awakened and are ready to fight to any extent for their honour and rights.
