Protesters torched and vandalised private properties during Monday’s protest
Noida: Noida Entrepreneurs’ Association (NEA), which represents over 3,000 registered industrial units in the city, said the revision of minimum wages in the immediate aftermath of the recent violence would not only set a “wrong precedent” but also affect margins at a time when export units are already going through a tough phase because of the war in West Asia.NEA president Vipin Malhan said protesters torched properties and held the govt ransom to get their demands met. “The high-power committee had invited NEA, which gave suggestions against immediate revision of wages, as it would set a wrong precedent, as next time, some other people will also protest and resort to violence. This will also put additional burden on the industries,” he said.
Samvardhana Motherson Company where the company’s employees staged a violent protest on Monday
He added that a Rs 3,000 increase in salaries of five lakh industrial workers in Noida would cost the industry Rs 150 crore per month.
GB Nagar has around 10,000 manufacturing units and 15 lakh registered workers.Sudhir Srivastava, who runs a wire harness manufacturing unit in Sector 59, said the committee’s decision to revise wages would be complied with, but said its timing was not suitable. “The factory workers went berserk and damaged properties in different industrial sectors unchecked. They damaged our properties, and now we are forced to pay a revised salary.
We had suggested to the committee that the salary should be revised in one or two months once the matter cools down,” he said.
Private properties set on fire in Sector 63
Srivastava said his factory, which employs 150 workers, would face an additional expense of about Rs 7.5 lakh per month due to the revision. He added that industries are already under stress due to rising input costs, noting that copper, used in wire manufacturing, has increased from Rs 800 per kg to Rs 1,200 per kg.
He also pointed to disruptions in sea routes amid the US-Iran conflict, which affected exports and put constraints on petroleum imports that added to operational strain.Following the recent unrest, some workers left Noida for their native places, while several factories and companies remained shut on Tuesday over safety concerns. A single day’s closure is estimated to cost industries around Rs 2,000 crore, Srivastava said.
Glass facade of another manufacturing unit damaged by protestors
Rakesh Kohli, who operates a small unit manufacturing ceiling fan components in Sector 10, said his factory has remained closed for the past three days. “The govt has revised the minimum wages, which will directly affect us. There are 12 workers in my factory, and I will incur an additional cost of about Rs 35,000 per month,” he said.The NEA said it has yet to conduct a detailed assessment of the total losses from the recent unrest, but preliminary estimates suggest that industries suffered damages worth nearly Rs 500 crore due to violence and arson. The industry association also demanded enhanced security for their premises.
