Thousands of factory workers in Noida, near Delhi, have staged rare protests demanding higher minimum wages and better working conditions. Most are non-unionised contract workers in small manufacturing units who earn between 10,000 and 15,000 rupees a month, wages that have remained largely unchanged for years despite long working hours and rising living costs. Demonstrations that began peacefully have escalated in some areas, leading to clashes with police and hundreds of arrests.

The unrest has been fuelled in part by wage disparities between states, after neighbouring Haryana approved a significant increase in minimum pay. Uttar Pradesh has since announced a temporary wage rise in two districts, but many workers say it is insufficient. Experts point to inconsistent enforcement of labour laws and wide variations in state-level minimum wages as key sources of frustration.

The protests highlight deeper strains in India’s labour market, where the majority of workers earn modest incomes and many are employed in the vast informal sector with little job security. Rising living costs, including higher fuel prices, have intensified financial pressures on households, prompting not only factory workers but also domestic workers to demand better pay and benefits.

Small businesses, however, say they operate on thin margins and struggle to absorb sudden increases in labour costs. Analysts argue that without stronger enforcement of labour protections and greater support for small enterprises, tensions between workers and employers are likely to persist even as the broader economy grows.