Workers’ protests in Noida turned violent on Monday with clashes with police and torching of vehicles, but this is not the first such protest. Since the start of this year, workers’ protests have been going on across industrial hubs, even before the energy crisis deepened after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war.Major protests by industrial workers have taken place across at least five locations, starting from Barauni, an industrial town in Bihar, on February 2 this year. Protests then took place in Surat, a hub for diamond cutting and polishing, in Gujarat; in Manesar, a hub for the automobile and electronics sectors; in Panipat, a hub for textiles and recycling; and in Noida, a hub for the footwear and textile manufacturing sectors.The common theme — demand for better work conditions, especially by contract workers, higher minimum wages, better overtime payments, clearance of pending dues and equal work conditions as a regular worker. Several workers’ union sources told The Indian Express that workers were expecting an increase in wages after the implementation of the Labour Codes in November 2025. However, the wage revisions have not happened as expected.Effective November 21, 2025, the four labour codes — Code on Wages, Code on Social Security, Industrial Relations Code, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code — are seen easing regulations and compliance norms for employers, and ensuring uniformity in wage structure and social security protection for workers.The labour crisis has deepened with the recent energy crisis, leaving migrant workers grappling with the higher cost of living. Last week, the Haryana government had hike minimum wages for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers, after a gap of over a decade, following large-scale protests by workers across key industrial hubs, including Manesar.The widespread protest in the Noida industrial region comes after the Haryana government on March 9 revised the minimum wages with effect from April 1, 2026. The last revision had happened on October 21, 2015, as per a notification released by the Haryana government last week. The basic monthly minimum wage for unskilled workers has now been increased to Rs 15,220.71, and the monthly wage for highly skilled workers to Rs 19,42.85. The per-day wage, which would apply for contractual workers, would come in at Rs 582.4 for unskilled workers and Rs 747.14 for highly-skilled workers.Timeline of protestsThe first such workers’ protest was seen in Barauni, an industrial town in Bihar, over the revision of minimum wages and setting of working hours at eight hours a day, along with demands for social security provisions such as provident fund and coverage under the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).Story continues below this adSimilar protests also took place across other refineries, including at Indian Oil Corporation Ltd’s Panipat refinery on February 23, where at least 30,000 contractual workers staged protests demanding better wages and working conditions. The protest in Panipat also turned violent with angry workers pelting stones at security personnel and vandalising their vehicles.Days later, on February 27, another protest by 5000 contract workers of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) working at the AM/NS (ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel) project site at Hazira, Surat, turned violent with several policemen sustaining injuries and many vehicles being set on fire.With the shortages of LPG cylinders that have sent the cost of living higher, protests since March have been reported in industrial areas of Surat, Manesar and Noida.The recent flare-upWorkers had been asking for additional support for the purchase of LPG gas cylinders, the cost of which has risen 3 to 4 times in the black market, as reported by The Indian Express last month.Story continues below this adOn Monday in Noida, incidents of stone pelting, vandalism and arson were reported. Trade union leaders said the situation is believed to have worsened as they have been put under house arrest for the last five days. Also, workers are demanding an over 35% increase in their minimum wages, in line with last week’s minimum wage hike by the Haryana government.The common refrain among trade union leaders is that workers, especially contract workers, have not been heard by authorities ever since the protests began in Noida on April 8.“Jab worker ke saath vaarta nahi hogi toh woh baat kaise samjhenge (when there is no conversation by authorities with workers, then how will they listen to anyone). The protests are happening across industries of garments, IT, and call centres. The workers are aware of the new Labour Codes and are demanding worker rights in line with those. The minimum wage was last revised in 2012, and they are demanding a hike now,” Naeem, District Secretary, AITUC, Noida, said.Siddhanth Raj, a trade union activist, said the protest in Noida is mainly influenced by the similar protest in Manesar . “There was an expectation of better wages from April 1 due to the new labour codes. However, that did not happen. This has led to the present protest in industrial hubs in Noida,” Raj told The Indian Express.Story continues below this adTextile unit owners said they are seeking police protection against the workers’ protests. “Thousands of workers are protesting in Noida. They have turned violent. They broke the gates of the factory and entered the facility. They are asking for a 35% increase in the minimum wage revision along the lines of Haryana. We have suspended factory operations and have asked workers to leave. If police are not deployed, we will remain closed indefinitely. This kind of protest is happening after 10-12 years,” Anil Peshawari, managing director of Noida-based Meenu Creation, told The Indian Express.