Jaipur: A 35 percent minimum wage hike in Haryana has triggered wage protests in Rajasthan as well. A workers' agitation demanding wage hikes and better working conditions going on in Bhiwadi for the last couple of weeks intensified as sit-in protests started in some more factories on Thursday.
The workers in units located in Bhiwadi's Kaharani industrial area and Khushkhera started protesting against their companies and leveled allegations of poor working conditions and wages by raising slogans to voice their demands.
The protests are peaceful until now, but looking at the recent violence in Noida, a large contingent of police personnel from Bhiwadi deployed to the various sites. The senior officials of the labor department have also reached Bhiwadi for a meeting with factory owners and laborers.The primary demands of workers include a monthly salary of ₹20,000 for an 8-hour shift, as well as an increase in overtime allowance looking at the current state of inflation due to the West Asia conflict.
“We are demanding a salary of ₹16,000 for an 8-hour shift and ₹20,000 for a 12-hour shift. We are neither granted leave when we need it, nor are we given any bonuses,” said a female worker protesting outside her company.
The workers said that in the neighboring state of Haryana, the government has hiked the minimum wages, and the workers are being paid a reasonable amount of around ₹20,000 for an 8-hour shift, whereas here the companies are paying just ₹7,000-9,000. There is absolutely no provision for bonuses during festivals such as Holi and Diwali. Furthermore, if a worker takes leave, double the amount is deducted from his wages—a completely unjust practice.
The workers assert that long working hours, low wages, a lack of bonuses, and cuts to leave entitlements constitute a violation of their rights.
On April 8, the Haryana government announced a 35 percent minimum wage hike, effective April 1. Now the unskilled workers in the state will earn Rs 15,220.71 per month, semi-skilled workers Rs 16,780, and skilled workers Rs 18,500, while the minimum wages for unskilled workers in Rajasthan are Rs 7,410 per month; semi-skilled, Rs 7,722 per month; skilled, Rs 8,034 per month; and highly skilled, Rs 9,334 per month.
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Bhiwadi is adjoining Haryana, and many companies have their plants in both states. This industrial city is a hub of around 6500 units of the auto sector, engineering, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing that give employment to 4-5 lakh workers, most of whom are from states like West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha.
The factory owners said that the wage hike of the Haryana government has fueled the agitations here. Gridhari Lal Swami, treasurer of the Bhiwadi Manufacturing Association, said that the units are already facing a tough time due to the West Asia conflict.
“First the tariffs and now the shortage of CNG and commercial LPG have badly affected the production. Most of us are facing losses. The government should take note of this situation,” said Swami.
