Factory workers stage a protest demanding a hike in wages in Noida, Gautam Buddh Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh, in April 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
On a hot April afternoon, as the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran pushed several countries to grapple with an oil and gas crisis and rising prices, workers took to the streets in Noida — one of Asia’s major planned industrial areas, with thousands of factories and manufacturing units — demanding an increase in minimum wages as the cost of living continued to rise in India.The protest was also part of growing labour unrest across the National Capital Region (NCR), coming shortly after workers in neighbouring Haryana secured a significant increase in wages. Published - September 03, 2026 10:58 am IST
