FARIDABAD: Protests over the implementation of minimum wages intensified across parts of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, as factory workers took to the streets, blocked highways, and clashed with police, prompting a wider law-and-order response in key industrial areas.
In Faridabad’s Sarai Khawaja, workers at an automotive components unit continued demonstrations for a second day on Tuesday, demanding enforcement of revised minimum wages announced by the Haryana government.
Tensions rose when protesters attempted to block a service road along the Delhi-Agra Highway near a Motherson facility, leading to police intervention.
Around 1,000 workers from the morning shift gathered near the factory around 8am, disrupting traffic. Police said 23 protesters were detained and an FIR was registered after authorities moved to clear the road.
The unrest follows Monday’s large-scale blockade of the Delhi-Agra National Highway near Prithla village in Palwal, as well as similar disruptions in Sarai Khawaja, where traffic remained paralysed for hours.
Workers alleged exploitative conditions, claiming they were forced to work up to 16 hours a day for monthly wages of about Rs 11,000, an amount they say is insufficient for basic survival.
