Report of Mazdoor Ekta Committee correspondent
Increasing exploitation and unbearable working conditions force workers to organize and raise their voices. This is being seen in various parts of the country these days, including in Kanpur’s industrial area. Here, in factory after factory, workers are taking to the streets demanding full wages, double overtime payments, and wage increases.
On 25 May 2026, workers demonstrated at the gates of Thread India Limited in Bilhaur, Kanpur, demanding a wage increase. Women made up the majority of these workers.
Workers said that they have discussed wage increases with the management several times, but no action is taken. The situation has become unbearable. Thread India Limited, a Lohia Group company, manufactures synthetic yarn. It has two units in Kanpur and Bangalore. Its annual revenue is Rs. 200 to 300 crore.
A worker who has been working here for the past 8 years said his job is still not permanent. He and many others like him are paid a mere Rs. 8,500 in wages. This is the situation of most workers here.
Another senior worker said, “There has been no salary increase for the past 3 years. It is becoming increasingly difficult to support a family in this backbreaking inflation. Even after working for 25-30 years, workers here are earning merely Rs. 10,000 to 12,000 a month.”
Workers are demanding that their wages should be at least Rs 18,000 to 20,000 per month (or Rs 800 to 900 per day) after adjusting for inflation.
On 21 May 2026, workers of Nerolac Paint Factory in Kanpur demonstrated on the road outside the gate demanding wage hike and workers’ welfare.
On 25 May 2026, workers protested at the Jhunjhunwala Factory and Shiv Krishna Polytex, which manufacture plastic bag rolls, located in the Jhunjhunwala Complex in Panchampurwa, Sachendi, Kanpur, demanding a wage hike.
The Jhunjhunwala complex in Panchampurwa houses Lalu Jhunjhunwala’s Shiv Krishna Polytex and his brother Vivek’s Jhunjhunwala plastic factory. Both manufacture rolls of plastic bags and employ approximately 400 workers.
Employees at Shiv Krishna Polytex protested against the management, demanding a pay raise. Seeing this, workers at the adjacent Jhunjhunwala factory also came forward with their demands. Their main demand is to be paid wages and other legal benefits under the minimum wage system established by the government.
Furthermore, in many places within Kanpur, workers can be seen organizing and raising their voices for their rights. Sparks of struggle are igniting not only in Bilhaur and Sachendi but also in Kanpur’s core industrial areas like Panki, Dada Nagar, Jajmau, and Ruma. Lakhs of contract and daily wage laborers working in these areas are now openly speaking out. For example, the demands of workers’ struggles at Arvind Footwear in Kanpur Dehat on 9 May, Spun Micro in the Sachendi Industrial Area on 15 May, Bhagwati Foods (a biscuit factory) in the Sachendi area on 19 May, Kanpur Plastics in the Sachendi area on 19 May, Goldie Masala Factory in Bithoor (Mandhana-GT Road) on 19 May, Mantora Oil Factory in the Rania Industrial Area and two other units on 19 May, and Anubhav Plast Factory in the Rania Industrial Area on 19 May are not limited to wage increases alone. Workers are also uniting against violations of labour laws, lack of safety equipment, and working in hazardous conditions without any social security (PF/ESI). They are demanding clean and cool drinking water, proper toilets, and adequate ventilation (shade) at the workplace.
The struggle of the workers of Kanpur clearly shows that workers will no longer tolerate their exploitation to satisfy the capitalist owners’ greed for profit.