Violence A Day After Noida DM Announced Relief, Ordered Timely Salary, Double Overtime Pay

Noida: Hours before the three-day protest by employees of a private company turned violent, Gautam Buddha Nagar District Magistrate Medha Roopam had announced relief for thousands of workers who resorted to violence on Monday, torching vehicles and hurling stones at the deployed police force.

The DM had held a meeting on Sunday that was attended by senior officials, including the Principal Secretary (Labour) and the Labour Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh, virtually. Discussions focused on protecting workers’ interests, double payment for overtime, bonus, weekly holidays and workplace safety.

Key Announcements

In a sweeping order to be implemented across the district:

• Salary deadline fixed: All companies must pay wages by the 10th of every month
• Overtime boost: Workers will receive double pay for overtime duties
• No illegal cuts: Any unauthorised salary deductions will be treated as a punishable offence
• Salary slips mandatory: All workers will compulsorily be provided their salary slips
• Festival bonus rule: Bonuses must be credited directly to bank accounts by November 30

Grievance Redressal & Appeal

To fast-track complaint resolution, the administration has set up a dedicated control room for workers.

DM Medha Roopam also issued a public appeal urging workers to maintain calm and not fall for misinformation. “Do not pay heed to rumours. Cooperate with authorities to maintain law and order,” the administration said.

Police On High Alert

According to the Noida Police, adequate deployment has been ensured across all industrial areas under the commissionerate. Senior officials remain on the ground, monitoring the situation and engaging with workers.

Authorities emphasised that minimum force is being used, with continuous efforts to counsel protesters and restore normalcy.

What Happened?

A workers’ protest demanding a salary hike spiralled into violence on Monday in Phase 2 of Noida, triggering chaos, arson and a heavy police crackdown.

Thousands of employees of a private company had been staging a protest for the past three days in the D-Block Hosiery Complex area. The protest intensified on Monday as agitated groups took to the streets, hurling stones, vandalising property and setting vehicles on fire.

The unrest escalated sharply in Sector 84, where at least two vehicles were set ablaze. Visuals from the area showed damaged cars and thick plumes of smoke rising, as panic spread across nearby industrial pockets.

Police rushed to the spot and deployed a heavy force, including the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), to contain the situation. Tear gas shells were fired to disperse the violent crowd.

What Did Workers Demand?

The protesting workers have raised multiple demands, including:

• Salary hike and timely payments
• Bonus and overtime compensation
• Weekly offs
• Issuance of salary slips
• Formation of a sexual harassment committee
• Creation of a grievance redressal cell

Traffic Hit, Protests Spread

The violence led to massive traffic snarls across Phase 2, with spillover protests also reported from Sector 62. Thousands of workers reportedly participated, bringing industrial activity in parts of the area to a halt.

The incident falls under the jurisdiction of the Phase 2 Police Station.

Notably, just a day earlier, district administration officials, police and authority representatives had held a meeting with workers, assuring them that their demands would be addressed. However, tensions appear to have boiled over despite those assurances.

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