Demand the immediate release of all those arrested since 13 April!
Statement of the Kamgar Ekta Committee, 19 April, 2026
Since 13 April, nearly 50,000 workers of several factories in NOIDA have been out on the streets, protesting against their miserably low wages and unbearable working conditions. The demands of the protesting workers are entirely just. They reflect the terrible exploitation and inhuman working conditions faced by crores of workers all over the country. There is no justification for the brutal repression that has been unleashed against the workers in NOIDA, for demanding to be treated as human beings. The Kamgar Ekta Committee condemns the reign of terror unleashed in NOIDA and demands the immediate release of all the workers and union leaders arrested since 13 April.
There is no justification for the brutal repression that has been unleashed against the workers in NOIDA, for demanding to be treated as human beings.
Since 13 April, nearly 50,000 workers of several factories in NOIDA have been out on the streets, protesting against their miserably low wages and unbearable working conditions. They have boldly come out to demand their rights as workers, including an 8-hour working day and wages that ensure a dignified life. The protests rapidly spread from one unit to another across the area. Domestic workers also protested, demanding living wages and dignified working conditions.
Starting from the morning hours of 13 April, hundreds of workers, women and men, have been brutally beaten up by the police and security forces while several hundred have been locked up and detained for many days. They have been locked up on charges of “inciting and indulging in acts of vandalism and arson”.
Trade Union leaders have been placed under house arrest. Working people passing by have been picked up, beaten and locked up. Even pregnant women have not been spared. The homes of the workers and their families are being searched. Family members of the arrested workers are being threatened, harassed and denied any information about the whereabouts of their loved ones. All these actions are being justified in the name of uncovering a “conspiracy by external elements”.
The Kamgar Ekta Committee condemns the reign of terror unleashed in NOIDA and demands the immediate release of all the workers and union leaders arrested since 13 April.
There are more than 10,000 industrial and service units in NOIDA, which is a satellite town of Delhi and part of the National Capital Region (NCR). They are typically small-scale units employing less than 100 workers each, producing mobile phones, other electronic items, auto components, IT services, medicines, and readymade garments. Work is outsourced to these units by Indian and foreign monopoly capitalist companies such as TCS, HCL, Microsoft, Samsung, Xiaomi, and multinational clothing brands. Much of the work is aimed at serving the export market. The workers are predominantly migrant workers, hired on temporary contracts, through private agencies. Nearly 25 percent of the workers are women. The labour contractors pocket a percentage of the paltry wages that the workers are paid.
The first and foremost demand of the protesting workers is for wages that ensure a dignified life. They currently earn between Rs 13,000 and Rs 15,000 a month, with which it is impossible to cover their basic living costs. They are demanding a minimum monthly salary of at least Rs 20,000. It may be noted that in the entire NCR region, the officially declared statutory minimum monthly wage ranges from Rs 20,000 for unskilled workers to Rs 25,000 for skilled workers.
Workers are demanding an 8-hour working day and an end to the 12-hour shifts which are the norm across most of NOIDA. They are demanding overtime payment at double the standard wage rate. They are demanding that wages and bonuses be paid on time, and immediate clearance of salary arrears and pending retirement dues. They are demanding an end to the contract system, and regular employment so as to ensure security of livelihood. They are demanding strict safety standards at the workplace, and effective mechanisms to curb the harassment and oppression of women.
In response to the workers’ protests, the UP government recently announced a wage hike, to ₹13,690 for unskilled and ₹16,868 for skilled workers. This is far below what the workers are demanding.
The demands of the protesting workers are entirely just. They reflect the terrible exploitation and inhuman working conditions faced by crores of workers all over the country.
There is no justification for the brutal repression that has been unleashed against the workers in NOIDA, for demanding to be treated as human beings. The charge of foreign conspiracy is a baseless fabrication, aimed at discrediting the legitimate struggle of the workers.
The Kamgar Ekta Committee calls on the entire working class and all progressive forces in the country to stand firmly in defence of the just struggle of the NOIDA workers! Let us rise above all differences in party and union affiliation, and demand the release of all those arrested since 13 April, and withdrawal of all the cases registered against them!